Airmail
by LovelyLytton
Summary: Reunions come in many shapes and sizes. The senshi are about to experience them all. Focus on Minako/Kunzite and Rei/Jadeite. Originally written for sm monthly.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Snowflakes

Theme: Ashes

Disclaimer: Not mine, I just borrowed him for a little while.

A solitary figure walked through a deserted, cold park. It was still very early, so the silver-haired man was neither surprised nor bothered by the lack of accidental company. In fact, he only ever ventured out of his office or flat if he knew that there weren't many people around. It was a strange quirk of his, shying away from company as if it burned him.

Taking a seat on a snow covered bench, he slowly exhaled and watched the cloud of mist that his breath had become in the frosty temperatures. The past five weeks had been somewhat difficult, although he had no idea why. He got up in the morning, showered, had some breakfast, took a walk, went to the office long before most of his colleagues were even up, stayed longer than some of them were awake, returned home, had dinner, listened to precisely three pieces of classical music and went to bed. These were his days. This was what made him happy. But then the restlessness came and with it the nightmares. He hadn't been able to remember a single one of them once he woke up sweating _(screaming crying feeling)_, but something lingered nevertheless.

He even considered going to a shrink, but he shied away from baring his soul to a stranger, even if it was a paid professional. By choice, he had no friends to confide in. By destiny, he had no family to lean on to. Not that he ever minded. There would be the occasional pretty blonde in his bed, but never in his heart. Not anymore. He was not searching, he was just existing.

The snow started to fall again, and he took in the beauty of his surroundings. Branches bending under the white weight, absolute quiet as even the sounds of the few animals were absorbed by the icy blankets that nature had provided. He was a humble man, he didn't wish for much. _He didn't deserve anything. _His head snapped up. Where did this thought come from, he wondered, an icy hand gripping his heart and slowly sinking its claws in.

Little flakes tumbled around his face, not making contact with his skin. He tried to calm himself, to distract himself by going over the plans he had lying in his office, of buildings, strategies, business meetings. And then just before he succeeded in calming the gnawing suspicion in his gut, finally, one solitary snowflake brushed his cheek, softer than a lover's caress, but horribly, horribly familiar.

_The sky was grey, the world was grey, his heart was black. He was lying on the blood-covered floor of the eternal palace, his hand stretched out to reach his sword. An explosion somewhere nearby sent ashes falling from the sky like snowflakes. Whether these burnt remnants used to be a building, a person, or a weapon, he neither knew nor know cared for. One touched his cheek, and with the blood seeping out of his body, the curse cast on his soul lifted. He knew he was dying. He hoped that she would be the last thing his eyes would behold, but as darkness advanced on him, he felt that she was no more._

Kunzite opened his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Into Temptation

Theme: Internet

Disclaimer: The title is shamelessly stolen from a Penny Vincenzi book, the characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

"You see, all you have to do is to plug it in here, connect it to the... thing over there and you're online.", Minako exclaimed and touched Makoto's head in the most annoying manner. The girl opposite her looked to the ceiling as if to make contact with the gods hidden far above them in the sky. "Really, Makoto, I cannot understand how you can go without internet access in your new flat. What do you do if you want to know what the weather is like?", Minako asked while she untangled the wires under the desk.

Makoto sighed. "I look out of my window."

"But what about the bank? If you have to transfer money?"

Another sigh.

"I take my purse and a ten minute walk until I am at the actual bank."

"How about shopping? There is this lovely website which sells French designer clothes for half the price!"

A frown.

"Minako, there are lots of perfectly adequate shops here in Tokyo. Believe it or not, some even sell French designer clothes and twice a year, there is this thing called a sale."

"Recipes? Thousands of exciting new recipes? From all over the world!"

"Did you see the bookshelves over there? The big ones? What kind of books do you think I own? Cookbooks, Minako, cookbooks!"

"But what if you want to find out something about someone?"

A groan and the distinct sound of someone banging their head against the wall. "I ask!"

"Now that is just ridiculous! If you met a guy, and you wanted to know whether he is a man-whore, then..."

"A what? Good lord, Minako, have you been watching Grey's Anatomy again?"

The blonde just waved her hand. "Don't even try to distract me! You obviously need help to realize how important the internet is these days and luckily for you, I am more than prepared to show you."

Breathing slowly in and out, Makoto counted to ten before she answered.

"But if I ever needed the internet, which I assure you I don't, I can use it at your place or at Ami's. Or I can go to one of the countless cafes with internet access all over town. These annoying places where people go to be cool, with their fancy portable computers. They don't even look at the delicious cakes that are being sold, they are just online. So annoying."

Minako emerged from under the desk and looked at Makoto sternly. "But internet is included in your rent. And you have a computer. It would be silly not to use it. Also..." The pause was accompanied by a wide smile that made the brunette senshi fear for the worst. "You can find out what people think about you!"

"Excuse me?"

A sly smile tugged at the corner of Minako's mouth. Ha, got you! She crouched in front of the desk, and went on to the Google website. "You just type 'Sailor Jupiter', click on search and TADAA! 45.000 sites featuring your name on the web."

Makoto looked over Minako's shoulder at the screen. "45.000...", she repeated slowly, eyebrows raised. Snapping out of it, she closed the site. "No, not interested. Not at all."

The younger girl snorted and then began to sing: "Liar, liar, shoes on fire".

"It's pants, Minako, pants on fire."

Ours later, after her most annoying friend had finally left more or less triumphantly, Makoto made herself a hot chocolate and took a seat at her desk. "Stupid Minako", she muttered under her breath. After reading some entries about herself, she typed in the names of her fellow senshi. Mars had 67.000 entries to her name, which was doubtlessly due to her ridiculous shoes. People just had these dirty fantasies about crime-fighters in bright red stilettos. Mercury had 166.000 hits, which made Makoto choke on her hot drink. Curiously, she went to check on Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus, and then slowly, she spent the night googling everyone and everything she ever encountered.

Hours later, taking a deep breath, she began typing, without any hope of an result.

N-e-p-h-r-i-t-e. It was such a stupid idea. The media was almost never aware of the names of the enemies the senshi fought, so her chances of finding information (pictures in particular) about a man twice dead were slim to say the least. And why did she even bother? Most likely, any result would be about these thrice damned gems, and not about the man himself.

465.000 hits. She plunged in, not even noticing that a frosty morning had arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: **No Angel**

Theme: Resolution

Disclaimer: Another title taken from one of Miss Vincenzi's books, and the characters still do not belong to me. Pity, though.

Fireworks exploded around them, and for once, it was the good kind. Kisses, hugs and affectionate words were exchanged, most of them between friends. Only one couple was present in their little group, but that was how it had always been, so it almost didn't bother her.

What did bother her was the distinct lack of a highly alcoholic drink in her hand, so she quickly excused herself in order to find something that would keep her wandering mind at bay. She was a leader, she knew her enemies well and fought them even better. Minako Aino only gave in to the temptation that alcohol formed to her once a year, and tonight was the night. Blonde hair swishing behind her, she made for the bar and ordered a strawberry daiquiri. On second thought, she ordered another one, downing the first in one go.

The waiter smiled flirtatiously, while putting a tiny orange umbrella into the fixed drink. "There you go, happy new year to you." Grinning, she took the delicate glass and thanked the young man. Making her way back to the balcony, she found that all of her friends sans Ami had disappeared. She hugged the blue-haired girl from behind and held the glass containing the pink liquid in front of her. "Do you want to take a sip of my drink? It's very good."

Ami chuckled. "Thanks Mina, but not tonight. I never drink on New Year's Eve. Aren't the fireworks beautiful? Look, did you see the purple one?" Craning her neck, she looked to the direction her friend had pointed to and saw the last remnants of purple sparks over a nearby building. A few lights illuminated the otherwise dark silhouette of the skyscraper, and they all belonged to the same group of windows. Behind them, she saw a lonely figure sitting at a desk, oblivious to the happiness that radiated through the city.

"Urgh, Ami, there is seriously someone at work over there. But then, so would you if I let you, sober as you are." Shaking her head, she pushed her drink into Ami's hands and her hair into a pony-tail. "So, my dearest, what are you resolutions for the undoubtedly amazing new year?"

Her comrade pondered the question for a few minutes, while a comfortable silence settled between the two friends. It was a mark of how at ease Minako was with Mercury's reincarnation that she could stand the lack of words. Silence usually unnerved her.

A light blush crept over the pale girl's skin, when she finally answered. "I want to read a romance novel in public." Surprised, Minako looked at her friend. She had expected something more along the lines of ' I want to find the cure to some terminal disease that most of you haven't even heard of', but the sweet simplicity of Ami's statement led to a nod first, and a smile second. " I think this is a very good goal you have set yourself there."

Reclaiming the glass from her friend's waiting hands, she took a sip and instead of watching the fireworks, found her eyes returning to the lit windows and the person behind them. Why would someone want to work on this particular night? All alone in an office, cooped up with memories and thoughts and hopes and... "So, what are your resolutions, Mina?"

Laughing easily, she answered: "For one, I want to find out why you insist on staying sober tonight. And then I want, hang on, I want..." _Green eyes looking at me as if I am the most precious thing on earth. Strong arms holding me tight, allowing me to let go of control. Silver hair, soft to my touch even though it belongs to a men who is as firm as the stone he derived his name from. _Gulping the rest of her drink, she continued quickly. "I will try to get the cute waiter to give me his number."

Peering through the open doors, she winked at the dark haired and blue eyed man, who in turn laughed and held up another drink with the signature orange umbrella.

In the skyscraper not far away, he finally turned the lights off, and went home.


	4. Chapter 4

It was two hours into the New Year, and there were still fireworks exploding all over the city. He had exited his office sometime after the clock struck twelve, leaving a lot of work behind, but being too exhausted to complete it. Upon returning home, he followed the same procedure as every other ordinary evening, but sleep still evaded him. Ever since that fateful morning in the park, his peace of mind had deserted him and sleep alongside with it.

Loneliness, which had formerly been his companion, now felt like a punishment. Yearning for a sense of belonging into this world and time again, he got up, dressed himself and stepped onto the streets again, distantly smiling at the happy people that seemed to be hiding behind every corner.

The general that had been hidden inside him for all his life automatically scanned the crowds for his long forgotten friends. If he had returned, so had they. He was sure of it. But all he could see were strangers. Men, women, children. All of them hidden in the clouds of smoke the fireworks left behind after they went off.

The sound of high heels was followed by exhilarated laughter and a men's voice. "And then I said to him: Look, see that gorgeous girl over there? She gave me her number. And I think she might like to go for another drink somewhere else, with me, yeah, WITH me, so can you please cover for me? Tell the boss that I contracted the Minakoitis, and that it is very contagious." As the clicking of the shoes became louder, he spotted a dark-haired man and a petite blonde by his side. She was laughing harder and harder by the minute, and held on to his right arm like a lifeline, lest she drown in a sea of happiness.

Taking a step further back into the misty smoke this night provided, he hid himself for reasons yet unknown to him. Something dangerous was afoot, and his heart began to beat faster, building up a strange rhythm that he fought hard to contain. Was it Endymion? Was this the source of his unrest, his inner turmoil; meeting his prince in an illuminated night without any warning or preparation? But his master's voice sounded different in the memories that painfully took his breath away, leaving his throat dry and hurting as if he had spent hours on end shouting commands to anyone who would listen. No, this was not him and he doubted that the still giggling blonde was the reincarnation of the moon princess. Sneering more at himself than anything else, he moved forward again, and sparing the now kissing couple less than a glance, he strode away. Fitting in was no longer an option. He was an outcast, and would remain one until he found his fellow shitennou in a world that was growing colder by the minute.

Behind his retreating figure, a kiss broke and Minako Aino put her hand on her chest, in which her heart was beating in a way it never never? had before. Somehow, she doubted it had anything to do with the raven-haired man in front of her.


	5. Chapter 5

Putting the pink bowl filled to the rim with toffee popcorn on the table, Minako Aino smiled and looked around her cluttered living-room. There was the huge red couch with pillows in every imaginable size and colour (perfect for sleeping, kissing and entertaining friends), stacks of magazines on the windowsill (necessary to know what today's women wear tomorrow), candles on every available surface (artificial light doesn't work for serious laziness) and some books hidden underneath her ancient armchair (so, she has an obsession for cheap historical romances, eat it).

Happily plunging on the couch, she grabbed for the remote and started the film. What was it that she rented again? Ah yes, Stardust. Fair maidens, humour, some mystery and - of course - evil witches. She snorted. _I might as well take a camera to the next Sailor outing and tape a film of my own. Now, don't be a cynic, Minako, this is your quiet, relaxing evening at home, God knows you need it after yesterday's party._

Leaning back and hugging a fluffy pillow to her chest, she tried her hardest to let herself be immersed in the elaborate tale of love and adventure that was spun in front of her. But the popcorn suddenly tasted stale, just as the boy's kisses had the night before. _Don't you remember his name? _But all she remembered, all she strangely cared about was that rapid rhythm her heart had taken on and its mysterious cause. For there was no action without cause, years of youma hunting had taught her that. So what the hell happened there? The pillow found itself flung in a faraway corner, the popcorn ended up in the bin, the candles were deftly blown out and the books were pushed farther under the armchair by a not so subtle nudge of her left foot.

Stomping through her living-room, she picked up the phone from its hiding place underneath her favourite blue jumper on the floor and dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, it's me. I need to talk, can you please come over?" Twenty minutes later, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall and a soft knock on her door announced her friend's arrival.

She practically ran to the door, all restless energy, tore it open, and looked into a concerned pair of green eyes.

Without welcome or further introduction, she hastily blurted out : "I am the senshi of love and I don't remember the name of the boy I kissed on New Year's Eve.", and promptly burst into tears.

Makoto blinked in a confused manner and then hugged the crying girl and manoeuvred them to the couch. After trying to calm her upset friend for the better part of an hour, she decided that distraction was the best course of action.

"You were right about the Internet. It is a good means to finding out stuff, especially about people." Sniffling, Minako lifted her head and observed her friend, curiosity getting the better of her._ I didn't know she had a boy in sight. Boy... Nameless boy... _Thus remembering her predicament, she suddenly wailed: "But you can't find out a name that you weren't supposed to forget in the first place!"

Before Minako could get into full-blown misery mode again, Makoto hastily continued.

"I tried to find Nephrite."

Minako Aino was rarely ever speechless. When a talking cat told her that she was destined to be a fuku wearing crime-fighter, she had launched a ten minute monologue of how silly that was and how the cat should rather go and find Spiderman, Batman or some other kind of man for the job. When Rei snapped at every single living and breathing thing in a radius of 200 metres, she had a flippant comment at hand in order to lighten the mood. When Usagi suggested that they should all dress up in cheap Senshi costumes for Halloween, she immediately raised her hand and stated enthusiastically that she wanted to go as Mercury.

But in that very minute in her apartment, Minako was stunned into silence, as comprehension slowly dawned on her face. It didn't matter what the boy's name was. She didn't find it in herself to care anymore. His name was not Kunzite.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Minako Aino's Ten Step Survival Guide to forgetting evil dead people for whom you might have harboured romantic feelings in another lifetime but don't anymore because they only ever want to kill you anyhow.**

**Prompt: Plan**

**Rule Number One: Distract yourself.**

"Let's go to the cinema! There is this new action film out. Lots of guns, explosions and cars chasing...well, cars, really, but can we go? Usagi, I am sure Mamoru will like the film. Be a good girlfriend and take him to watch this monument of cinematographic history. And if you're going anyway, you surely won't mind me tagging along, right? Excellent! I'll see you at eight!"

"Ami, can I join you when you go swimming tomorrow?"

"Makoto, why don't you teach me how to bake non-burning muffins today!"

"Rei, can I come to the shrine and watch you scowl at the new help for a while? I promise I'll be very quiet, so your being angry at the world is not going to be disturbed by my presence in any way at all."

**Rule Number Two: Clean your flat for it will help you clean your mind.**

Putting the bin in the middle of her living-room and her laundry box right beside it, Minako started to pick up random items that littered her barely distinguishable hardwood floors. Blue jumper: Was on the floor for the last two weeks, so laundry. Historical romance novels hidden under the armchair: She couldn't remember the name of the boy she had kissed, so clearly romantic novels weren't for her. Putting them on the small table in front of her couch, she stuck a note on them that read 'Ami'. Fashion magazines: The heavy stacks were unceremoniously dumped in the bin, alongside with several wrappers of candy-bars that she found under her couch. Candles: Difficult. Very difficult. After a minute of consideration, she left them. After all, Tokyo did suffer under complete black-outs every once in a while when some random villain decided to pay the city a visit.

Two hours later, Minako Aino's flat was cleaner than ever and almost bleak looking, but her mind had been at peace for at least twenty minutes. Mission accomplished.

**Rule Number Three: Buy new things to symbolize your fresh start.**

An obscenely large amount of money and very little time later, she had acquired a new stack of magazines, some self-help books and several new dresses, scarves, trousers, shirts, coats, gloves, belts, shoes, jumpers, panties, tights, skirts, jackets and hats. Only bad thing about it: Hats reminded her of the circus and the circus creeped her out. Damn Nehelenia and her stupid mirrors and stupid monsters.

**Rule Number Four: Be in denial.**

Sighing, she pushed her hair out of her face and looked in the concerned faces around the table. "I have no idea what you are all talking about. I am fine, perfectly fine, have never been better. Actually, I've actively improved my life by seeking out different activities that benefit my general constitution. "

**Rule Number Five: Accept help when it's offered.**

" I will take those, though." Grabbing the basket of blueberry muffins, she grinned at Makoto. "After all, you made them just for me. Not that I'm not in a good place, I am, I'.."

"YOU'RE FINE, we get it!" shouted Rei.

**Rule Number Six: Be grateful for the small things.**

Such as good weather, her new hair-conditioner that made her locks extra shiny, the shitennou not being around, because they were probably somewhere in purgatory and Makoto delivering food to her flat every other day. _Did I mention the weather?_

**Rule Number Seven: Stop looking for silver hair everywhere you go.**

Walking down the crowded streets of Tokyo one afternoon several weeks later, she pondered her plans for the day. She could go shopping, and return those silly hats. _You threw the receipt away._ She could join Rei at the shrine. _Not that I am intimidated by her threatening to set me on fire if I come there more than twice a week. _She could... _See silver hair. Right in front of me. _Stopping still, every nerve of her body was on fire and her heart began to beat in that strange rhythm again._ Don't move. If you don't move, it's going to go away. _Slowly rising so that she stood on the tips of her toes, she stared after a broad back, long silver hair and a walk so assured that it could only belong to a king.

_And it sure as hell isn't Mamoru._

**Rule Number Eight: Accept what you can't change.**

Turning around, she ran home, not stopping for red lights, senior citizens, talking cats or anything else that was in her way. She just wasn't up to him existing again. She was not ready.

**Rule Number Nine: Hide.**

Closing the door behind her, she immediately went into her bedroom, pulled the blinds shut, unplugged the phone and climbed into bed.

**Rule Number Ten: Do not ever allow yourself to remember the happy times.**

"_Tell me, General, are you always this serious?" A strong eyebrow arched, as the man turned to face her. "Tell me, Lady Venus, do you always sneak up on people who need time to think?"_

_Sitting down on the green green grass next to the bench he had positioned himself on, she smiled up at him, swiftly wondering why she was so at ease when her charge was running wild, she was on a planet utterly alien to her and in the presence of a man who apparently loved nothing more than brooding, scowling and watching the world with worry._

"_Sneaking up on people is one of my greatest talents. How else do you think I found out about your prince and my princess before you did?" He nodded, and bent his head, presumably to hide the anger that played on it, for he was a proud man, that much she knew. God, Terrans were so easily offended! But then a slow, rumbling sound tumbled from his lips, and amazed, she watched him laugh for the first time. This moment in the gardens of Endymion's palace was the beginning and the end. The beginning of them and the end of her._

Putting a pillow over her heart, Minako cried silent tears for a man that died without his soul, for the carefree woman she could never be again, and for a love that had been doomed long before she was even born.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Crossing that bridge once I come to it**

Theme: Secrets

Standing in front of a small shop in a friendly if slightly run down part of the Azabu district, a brown-haired girl in a forest-green coat and a pink scarf pondered her future.

A decision had been made and kept a secret, and she wasn't sure when she would tell those that mattered about the change that was to come. Everything would be different from this day onwards. There wouldn't be any time for a coffee with Usagi on campus, no more study-dates with Ami, and no more notes-passing with Minako in boring lectures. Things with Rei might remain the same, but then the two of them had never been as close as she and the other three had been.

The colour was peeling off at different corners of the shop front, and the windows of the store were so dirty that it was impossible to look in.

Breathing in, she fumbled for her mobile phone and dialled the first number. "Hello Minako, this is Makoto. How are you?... Good, good. Yes, I'm fine. Listen, there is this thing I want to talk to you about and I know that you asked me not to pressure you into leaving you flat,… Yes, I know. But it is important. … It is. Can you meet me near the…Okay. Yes. Okay. Bye." Not sure whether she was supposed to be worried or angry, she frowned and called the second person on the angst filled list she had made in her mind, but only an answering machine picked up her call. Looking up at the sky, she silently implored the Gods to help her with this, but apparently, no one was listening, because Usagi also didn't answer her phone. Sighing, she thought that her forgetful friend might have just left it somewhere without remembering that she actually owned a mobile phone. Checking her watch, she concluded that Rei would be occupied with customers at the shrine, mornings were always particularly busy and she wanted the raven-haired girl to be in a good mood when she told her the news and this wasn't likely to happen if she would rather do something else.

The awning used to be white ground with pink stripes, but sunlight and rain had altered the colours, making it look grey and a colour that might have been called pink. Or it might be called filthy and bleached, but it was a matter of perspective, wasn't it?

So her secret would have to remain her very own for a little while longer. Pushing her hand in the pocket of her coat, her fingers closed around a cold object, which she then proceeded to pull out. Harsh metal glinted in the cold January sun. It was a small brass key, but its size didn't give anything away. Its importance was monumental. She had only ever had two dreams in her live: To get married to the man she loved and to run a bakery. After spending countless hours searching for her long lost companion, she decided that she owed herself to make her second dream come true, even if it mattered so much less than the first one did and always would.

Two lonely flower buckets adorned each side of the door, but whatever was growing in it had died a long time ago.

Dropping out of university had been easy. Finding this place even more so. Using her inheritance to buy it was a piece of cake. Strangely enough, she was absolutely certain that running her own business would come naturally to her. The only thing that unsettled her was telling her friends, the ones for whom she went to university in the first place.

Minako would understand. Observant as she was, Makoto had quickly caught on to her friend's source of distress, even though the name had never been spoken. So if anyone would understand her desire, her need to move away from memories of trees and stars and love and hope, it would be the blonde girl hiding from the world until she regained control of herself. Makoto didn't need to regain control, for she hadn't lost it. Missing Nephrite was a part of herself that she had accepted as soon as the memories from the Silver Millennium were restored to her.

But she needed to fill her life with more than the words and theories her second education provided her with, with more than the memories she cherished so much. She needed to give herself another chance at being more than strong Sailor Jupiter, she needed to be Makoto Kino, owner of a little shop that sold cakes and flowers in a slightly run down part of the Azabu district.

Smiling, she pushed the key in the lock and turned it, entering her future.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Metamorphoses**

Theme: Fail

'Sometimes you need to fail in order to succeed.'

Shaking his head, the man crumbled both the small slip of paper and the fortune cookie in his hand and threw them on the pavement, contempt visible on his handsome but haughty features. Ever since memories of a life that would always be both past and present had begun to creep up on him, he knew that he was a walking, talking failure, so he didn't need a bloody biscuit to tell him that.

He was all alone and that was something he wasn't cut out for. Granted, there were the odd times when he preferred to take a solitary walk in the woods in the middle of the night, but since the stars talked to him, he wasn't lonely. But the turn of the year had pushed his far away companions into silence. Work colleagues and former friends didn't cut it anymore, for he longed for the easy companionship he had enjoyed with his fellow shitennou and for the deep and loving understanding he had shared with her.

Making his way through the Azabu district, he passed parks, people and buildings without further glance. Hiromasa walked on and on, as if this would allow him to shake the demons that clung to him like children to their mothers. What remains of one life if you suddenly remember another one? Names changed, but did people? In this time and day, he was called Hiromasa. Not long ago, dying warriors desperately shouted 'Nephrite' as if that might have changed a mind tainted by Beryl and softened a heart swallowed by darkness. Dusk began to settle around him, and looking up, his eyes met the cheekiest of the stars. Those that came out before the sun had properly set and slowly began to whisper words of magic and secrets into his willing ears. His breath hitched in his throat, so complete was his surprise at finding himself included in their nightly banter again.

Minutes passed and he stood very still, soaking it all up, for he had missed them. Suddenly, all of them appeared on the deep blue horizon, their light illuminating the narrow street he was standing in for the briefest of seconds, before they disappeared behind a wide grey cloud that swallowed all of their words but one. _Here._

A familiar excitement crept upon his skin, making it tingle with life. His eyes scanned the street for something he wasn't even aware of and a promise forgotten for a thousand years drew him to the lightened front windows of a small shop. Inching closer, he peered in and made out a young woman who was busy painting the walls in a soft green colour.

Pushing the door open, the tinkling of a delicate bell rang through the rooms. When she turned to face the intruder, the brush fell out of her hand, decorating the floor with driblets of paint. He tentatively stepped towards her, considering for a moment whether he was allowed to touch her after all these times.

"You came back to me. You kept your promise."

A smile spread on Makoto's face as she took his hand, holding it as tightly as he held hers.

There were no kisses of wild abandon that night, no joyous shouts; only two hands holding on to each other for dear life, two pairs of eyes taking each other in and two hearts reconnecting.

His name was Hiromasa, her name was Makoto. They used to be Nephrite and Amalthea: Lovers, enemies, friends.

What remains of one life if you suddenly remember another one? Everything, Nothing, More.

Above them, the stars smiled.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Brave New World**

Theme: Betrayal

A/N: The characters do not belong to me, they belong to Ms. Takeuchi. The title was taken from Aldous Huxley's novel.

The phone had been ringing time and again, but Minako simply pulled the blankets over her head and pretended that the world didn't exist. Artemis had stopped by her flat yesterday, bearer of both food and news. He told the depressed blonde that Makoto had dropped out of university in order to open her own shop _(so that's what that call was about)_, Usagi had a cold, Rei was angry at her for disappearing of the face of the earth _(surprise surprise)_ and Ami was writing a term paper with Nobel prize qualities that confined her to the library just as the thought of Kunzite out and about in the streets of Tokyo confined Minako to her bed.

Finally, the answering machine picked up. It was Makoto. Again.

"I know you're at home, Minako." An accusatory pause filled the stifled air of the no longer tidy flat. "Minako? Minako! You have to come visit me at the shop. It's almost open for business, it looks really nice and there will be some fresh muffins waiting for you." Trying to muffle the sound of her friends worried and pleading voice by pulling a pillow over her head, Minako grumbled. "Go away. 'M not leaving home."

But apparently Makoto had just about enough and brought out the heavy machinery. "You're my friend. You owe me a visit, it would mean so much to me. Mina, please!" And with that, the message ended.

The room lapsed into silence again

'"Fuck it." Swearing, Minako got out of her bed-turned-sanctuary, and made her way into the bathroom. The floor was covered with dirty laundry, used towels and self-help books. Looking at her face in the mirror for the first time in six days, she wrinkled her small nose in disgust. Her long tresses of hair were greasy and stood up in strange places, thus giving her the look of an uncared for cockatoo. Her bright pink nail polish was chipped, and her lips looked unhealthily dry. _Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the senshi of love and beauty. _Shedding out of her carelessly picked pyjamas, she got under the shower.

Three hours later, she left her home for the first time in days. She had almost forgotten that it was still cold, that the first month of the new year had not yet passed just because she longed for hot summer days that burned away her inaptitude of dealing with this brave new world. Despite the sun hiding behind the clouds that were dotted all over the grey sky, she put on a pair of huge sunglasses. She might have been hiding in bed, but she had slept little and the bags under her eyes bore silent testimony to that.

Artemis had left her a small note with the address of Makoto's new shop. If she were to take a cab, she'd be there in ten minutes. Nevertheless, she opted to take a walk. Snuggling into the yellow scarf that Makoto had made for her birthday several years ago, she set out on her small journey that felt so much bigger. Not looking to the right or to the left, she walked on and on. If she didn't look for him, she couldn't see him. _As if I'd just bump into him. Tokyo is a huge city. And even if I do, who says that he remembers me? Reincarnation is a tricky thing. _Clenching and unclenching her fists, she paused in her steps and looked around for the first time. _What would I do if we met again and he didn't remember me? If I am nothing but a stranger to him?_

Either way, this couldn't end well. _Not that I will allow it begin. _If he didn't remember, she was nothing to him. If he did, he would also remember that she killed him twice, and he would see that she was no longer the brilliant and beautiful princess of Venus, but only Minako Aino, who hadn't even been brave enough to step onto the streets for almost a week. _Great._

Arriving at the shop, she inhaled the crisp air, put a smile on her face that she sincerely hoped looked genuine and entered her friend's new place of business. A small bell announced her arrival, but no one came to greet her. Curiously, Minako began to take in her surroundings, pushing her sunglasses on the top of her head. What she saw took her breath away. It looked just like a French patisserie. Lovely antique white tables with elegant little chairs, a counter filled to the brim with cakes, cookies, muffins and chocolates. Lots and lots of flowers and beautiful mint-coloured walls with pictures of lush green landscapes gave it a welcoming atmosphere. How did she do all this in such a short time? In the faraway corner of the room was a white door, that presumably led to the kitchens. Two laughing voices sounded through the shop, one of them was Makoto's, but whose was the other one? It was male, that was for sure. Peeking through the slightly ajar door, she looked in. _Who is that man? It couldn't be... Oh holy moon, this isn't... _The man laughed at something her friend said, and then bent to plant a kiss on her lips.

"I don't know whether I am supposed to transform or whether I'm supposed to say hello.", she finally managed to get out and then proceeded to step in the pristine kitchen. Makoto and Hiromasa whipped around.

"Minako! You're finally here!", Makoto quipped and hugged her friend. A moment of uncomfortable silence settled between the three, as Minako and Hiromasa wordlessly stared at one another. He looked just as she had remembered him. Tall, brown hair, brown eyes. But the expression he wore now couldn't be more different than the one he had worn on their last encounter. It was open, almost unguarded and there was no hate in his eyes.

Suddenly, a cold panic gripped Minako and she took a step away from the quiet young man and closer to the door. "Is he here as well? I saw him a couple of days ago, but... Tell me he's not here." A look of heart-felt betrayal flitted over her face as her widened eyes inquiringly implored Makoto.

Not waiting for an answer, she spun around on her heels, but the taller girl grabbed her hand and soothingly whispered "He's not here. Hiromasa... Nephrite is the only one that I've met. Please stay." A clock somewhere in the room counted the seconds that felt like hours. Pushing her hair up into a bun, which was a mannerism she always displayed when feeling nervous or insecure, Minako turned around again, a blush creeping on her face. _Don't be so foolish._

"I'm sorry." She walked over to him and extended her hand, offering him more than just a greeting. He took it, and the awkwardness began to subside. "So your name is Hiromasa now? I am Minako."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: Out of the Blue, into the Water**

Prompt: Wink

The living-room of the spacious penthouse was filled to the brim with seemingly unruly stacks of paper, notebooks of various kinds and weighty tomes. In the centre of it all sat a petite blue-haired girl, who was pushing her reading glasses back on her nose. The air was filled with intense concentration and freshly acquired knowledge, which seemed to radiate off the diligent student.

Time rushed by and finally, it was done. A sigh escaped the smiling lips, as she watched the printer deliver the sheets of paper that had caused her both worry and joy. The smile turned to a frown, when she took in the chaos that reigned the usually pristine room. _Thank God my mother doesn't live here anymore_, she thought as she set out to assemble several empty coffee mugs, a few boxes of take-away food and a small mountain of crumpled up paper.

Most people just assumed that she liked -enjoyed even- to be holed up inside for days, with books, but without company. They couldn't be more wrong.

While she strived on learning, she was also extremely sociable and enjoyed company, especially that of her friends. If possible, she preferred to study in company and outdoors. But writing a paper such as the one she had just completed required a different sort of concentration, and unfortunately, one that didn't come into being in the presence of her lovely laughing friends.

After carefully filing the last papers, texts and books which she had used for her research, Ami reached for coat, scarf and purse and quickly pondered which novel to take with her. Settling for a historical romance Minako had recently bequeathed to her, she finally left her home and entered the wintry world again.

The chilly air stroked her pale skin, welcoming her in its icy embrace. Attentive observers would have noticed a spring in her steps that spoke volumes of the elation she felt.

_Where to go? _Ami had several coveted reading places: Rei's shrine, the pretty park in the neighbouring district and as of recently, Makoto's new shop. She sometimes read at Minako's place as well, while the blonde watched television or surfed the net, each enjoying the other's silent company. It had something to do with often absent parents that tied the girls together. Makoto often joined them; she had taken to cooking for Minako and then put a stock of it in the freezer, joking that her friend would otherwise starve quickly.

Stopping at a small coffee place, she bought herself an extravagant treat. The hot beverage consisted of coffee, whipped cream, caramel syrup, something vanilla and a bit of melted chocolate on top. Warming her small hands on the warm paper cup, she decided that today was the day to make her New Year's resolution come true.

Her steps quickly led her to the corner of the park which had always been her favourite. There were lots of weeping willows and white roses, and the occasional bench dotted on the now frozen grass. Naturally, the roses weren't in bloom, they didn't even have many leaves at the given time, but that didn't diminish the park's beauty for her.

A few people walked by once she sat down on her usual bench, drawn outside by the combination of ice and sunshine. Looking around without meeting anyone's eyes, she opened her book, exhaled, and started to read. Crime novels, magazines, accounts of historical events or general fiction would often find themselves taken outside to be read, but romance novels usually remained firmly limited to her flat. But the complex tale of a young maiden at Camelot and her forbidden love for the king's cousin quickly drew her in, and Ami had all but forgotten the outside world.

The first kiss of the fair maiden and the brave knight had come and left her blushing a deep shade of crimson. The sound of a chuckle startled her.

A young man had joined her on her bench, something which she had been completely and utterly oblivious to due to the story that had captured her so fully.

"So I assume they have found each other? Well, they always do, it's what makes these books so boring, isn't it?" Not waiting for an answer, he packed up the remains of his lunch and stood up, shaking some crumbs out of the folds of his red scarf.

Ami gaped at him, not sure how to react and thus settling for silence and an open mouth that spoke of surprise, embarrassment and something unreadable.

Winking at her, he added "Read something by Byron, it's more entertaining and worthwhile than that.", before walking away. Minutes later, Ami slowly put her book away, all the while staring after the long disappeared back of an obviously unremembering Jadeite.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven - Round the decay of that colossal wreck, the lone stretch far way.**

Prompt: Forbidden

Disclaimer: Not mine, I just borrowed him for a little while.

A/N: The title comes from some lines of Ozymandias by Perce Bysshe Shelley. I cannot recommend reading that poem enough, it is utterly brilliant.

***

She waited for him in front of his flat one late Tuesday evening. How she found him, he did not know. How long she had waited, he did not care. Carefully side-stepping her slender frame, he opened the door to his so-called home and let them both in.

Making his way to the living-room with its front of windows, he turned on some dim lights as he went. Mere observation didn't give any of their thoughts or emotions away, as they were both very much in control of themselves. It was his nature to refrain from letting his face betray anything he felt. It was her vocation as a priestress that had taught her to never lose her poise.

Kunzite held up an almost empty bottle of expensive imported vodka, silently offering to fix her a drink. Unexpectedly, she accepted both the glass he handed her and a seat on his black leather couch. Everything in his flat was made out of either metal, glass or leather, giving it an air as unwelcoming as the one the Dark Kingdom had exuded a millenia ago. She wondered if this was yet another way of punishing himself.

This nightly meeting was forbidden for a myriad of reasons, although neither of them had or ever had anything less than honourable intentions. They were meeting as old acquaintances in a new world. But it was a secret that they would – one day in a future so far away that it wasn't even imaginable yet – take to their graves with their then no longer meaningful forms.

''She knows you're back.''

The words were spoken softly, and followed by a sip of the bitter liquid as if it could diminish the taste of desperation they had left in her mouth.

His reaction was barely even there. Other than closing his eyes for the briefest of seconds, he remained still as an ancient marble statue, oddly misplaced in this modern temple of cold anonymity. Weighing his words guardedly, he answered just as quietly as she had spoken, but a tinge of mournfulness tainted his clear voice.

''I will stay away.''

Gingerly setting the glass back on the coffee table, she arose gracefully and made her way to the door, her soft steps unheard, the words she was about to speak already booming in his mind.

''That's not what the fire tells me.''


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: A spoonful of disarray**

Prompt: Mango

***

"I want to do this right."

She grinned, and reached for the propped-up cookbook again. Green eyes skimmed over the pages, and she traced the words with her fingers as she read. "Okay, but so far, everything is done exactly as described in the recipe. Cutting the mangos, then putting them in a pot and cooking them for 10 minutes, adding the spices, patiently waiting for an hour, which we've almost done and..."

He cut across her. "It's not the chutney I am talking about. It's us."

Hiromasa went over to the kitchen sink and washed the sweet smelling juice off his hands. Now where was the kitchen towel? Why was it that he was never ever able to find anything in this kitchen? Or his, for that matter.

"Aren't we doing this right? Because, Hiro, it feels more than right to me." There was not even a hint of insecurity in her voice, and he marvelled at her good faith in him, as he had done time and again over the last two weeks.

Closing the distance between them with one big stride, he pulled her in a hug, drawing comfort and encouragement from holding her in his arms. Placing a gentle kiss on the chestnut hair, he murmured in an almost sullen tone: "Only Minako knows."

Laughter resonated in the small kitchen and he felt her quivering in his arms.

"Do you think this is funny? I want to make it official; I want us to be official, not hiding in your shop or your flat or mine, when I manage to lure you there. We have to tell the others, and that includes Endymion."

The sound of her laughter faded away, but the traces of it still remained on her face as she gently corrected him. "Mamoru. That's his name in this lifetime, it will soon enough change to Endymion once again." She reached up and stroked the pouting man's cheek, before rising on the tips of her toes and placing a kiss on his nose.

"Ami, Bunny and Mamoru by extension don't know about you because it is the end of term and they are ridiculously busy studying. Rei has been off kilter since the year has started, and when she is feeling off, she sticks to her shrine like a bee to honey." Freeing herself from his embrace, she returned to the oven and stirred what was to become a hopefully tasty mango chutney.

Several drawers were opened before she had found her favourite wooden spoon. Chuckling, she said: "Ever since I met you, my kitchen is in complete disarray." Stirring the contents of the pot, she looked over her shoulder to meet a worried pair of eyes in a shade that comlemented her own. The physical similarity between the two of them was truly astounding. It made them very pleasing to the eye and at least she already knew that they would have pretty children. Blushing, she picked up the kitchen towel that had been hidden under the heavy cookbook and went to dry his hands, even though most of the wetness had actually been dried of by his hands on her jumper in their earlier embrace.

"How about I invite all of them to a small opening dinner in the shop? Then we announce your return, our love and the fact that between the two of us, no kitchen can be kept tidy."

His solemn face lit up, filling her heart with a feeling of deep contentedness. The small dog-shaped kitchen clock rang, and both of them let go of each other to try their chutney. Needless to say, it was perfect.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - Splashing in a sea of wonder**

Prompt: Medieval

***

Two laughing girls ran through the rainy afternoon, arms linked, almost identical blonde hair swishing behind them. The dark and clouded sky above them didn't matter, and neither did their wet feet, their rain-soaked clothes or the boring lecture they had snuck out of thirty minutes early.

They were headed to Makoto's shop, a celebratory dinner awaiting them. Stumbling over their feet, stepping into puddles, chattering merrily away; careless girls for once.

Once the brightly lit destination was in sight, Minako's blue eyes turned earnest, but her voice and her mouth did not.

The nearly indiscernible change went by unnoticed by her companion, due to the very lewd joke that had sent Usagi into fits of laughter. Pushing her now panting friend through the white doors, Minako spoke in the same cheerful voice that had delivered the punchline two minutes ago. "By the way, Makoto has a new boyfriend. But he' s not that new, really. Anyway, you'll meet him today and then you can hold Mamoru's hand when he meets him later."

Her words had obviously fallen on deaf ears, because Usagi bend over, clenched her quivering stomach, not managing any coherent sentence, only the words "cat","sex shop" and "diary". Behind the counter, Makoto was holding a white-faced Hiromasa's hand, waiting for the leader of their group to regain control and to actually look up, damn it! Minako had sent her a text message, saying that it might be better to have Usagi already informed when Mamoru stepped into the shop. Thinking of flying roses with tips of steel, she agreed. So Minako had lured Usagi out of the lecture, not that it had required much luring. It had been a matter of the scribbled words _"Let's leave, this is boring. Cake at Mako's before the rest arrives?" _and the two had been off.

Hiromasa tried to control his breathing, but standing still in the face of impending doom had never been his strong side. Actually, he had a problem standing still in any given situation. Fiddling with this watch, and hurriedly stroking his girlfriend's surprisingly steady hand, he waited and waited and waited, thinking that this was so much more effective than any medieval torture device he had seen in the Tower's museum in London when he had visited it three years ago. More effective than the rack, hell, the intestinal crank even.

Finally catching her breath, Usagi looked up. Why wasn't Minako speaking? Why hadn't Makoto hugged her in greeting? Her eyes searched and met those of Makoto and immediately took in the miserable tall man beside her. Recognition struck her like lightning, and before the others had any chance to jump into action, she had bounded up to the man that had once been Nephrite, almost shouting and had taken his free hand in hers.

"I am so happy that you're here! Mamoru has been so upset by the stones just being stones and not you anymore, I think he must have missed you awfully. I assume that you're not in the stones anymore, right? Well, you have to not be, seeing how you're standing here and all. He'll be so glad, so relieved to see you again! Where are the others? Will they be here soon? You know, he's a doctor now, and having you around will be so good for him." Her rushed words and wondrous reaction left all of them dumbfounded and silent.

The sound of the bell and a dropped book drew all eyes to the entrance, where a dripping Ami's mouth formed the incredulous words: "Another one?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 - As hard as vulcanized disc**

Prompt: Winter Sports

The ice-hockey stadium was packed with a lot of very exited men and few equally exited women. On the upper ranks, the air had already a thinning feel to it and the smell of sweat filled the cheering crowd's nostrils. But they didn't mind, they were here for the game that was about to begin. A lanky youth tried to take a seat next to a reading blond man with a ponytail, who seemed strikingly out of place in this world of easy friendships, spilt beer and violence. An icy glare caused the teenager to turn on the spot and to continue his search of a free seat at the other end of the arena. Apparently, intimidation and the avid reader did go well together.

The game begun and mere seconds passed before one of the players was smashed into the board, prompting a deafening cheer from one side of the stadium and roar of communal protest from the other one. In the midst of all this ruckus, the seat next to Umi had been taken by a man a few years his senior. It wasn't the age difference that kept him from trying to discourage the unwelcome neighbour from sitting down, it was a grudging acknowledgement.

Thus the two blond men sat next to each other on the uncomfortable bench, one of them watching the game that was unfolding in front on them intently, the other one hidden behind his book.

Several minutes later, a drawled comment doubtlessly directed at him caught Umino's attention.

"Strange choice of place for reading, isn't it?" He looked up, shrugged, and fastened his eyes on the page again.

"Don't you care for the game?"

"It's barbaric.", he voiced and closed his book, knowing from experiences millenia old that the bothersome man wouldn't let him read anyway. The older one raised his eyebrows, indicating to Umi that his statement needed elaboration. Sighing, he followed the unspoken request.

"They are bashing their heads in. Without any reason whatsoever. They should enlist for the military if they want some violence in their lives, but this is just pointless."

Pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pockets, the elder one began to toy with it. His brows knitted in something akin to comical despair, and he leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes.

"We need to find them. We must find them, if only so that Kunzite keeps me from stomping you in the ground. It was your idea to come here in the first place! So could stop whining and reading, once we're at it, and let me think of a way to get out of this fucked-up situation or can we at least pretend to enjoy the game? Look at the ice and think of your frosty princess, that should occupy your great mind for a little while, but keep the bloody book in your pockets."

Throwing his companion an angry look, Umino got up and walked away, only to return after a few minutes bearing one (and only one) cup of hot coffee.

They had run across each other by accident. Both had visited Tokyo as tourists, normal men busy with their normal lives and enjoying their normal holidays. Well, at least one of them was enjoying his holiday. Umino had been visiting shrine upon shrine, all the big museums and some small ones, the university, the libraries, in short everything that had anything to do with culture. He didn't miss Kyoto at all, and was already dreading to go back to what now felt like nothing more than a village. Ando was fed up with this strange place after a few days already. Girls didn't flirt, they only giggled; smoking was prohibited almost everywhere and the hotel he was staying in was dodgy at best. He might have grown-up in Japan, but his family had moved to the States when he was still green behind the ears and he had taken to living in New York like a duck to water.

They met at the airport on the day of their departure and even though only one look passed between them, it explained everything. Memories resurfaced, a bond formed and they were doomed to stay. That had been two weeks ago and they had spent almost every waking minute with each other, and it was beginning to take its toll, for neither of them was an easy person to be around for that intensely spent amount of time. How they had done it while serving Endymion, they didn't know.

Umino had then mentioned the ice-hockey game as a possible distraction from looking for the others, and there they were, although no more at ease with one another than they had been staring at each other at the airport, comprehension dawning on their shocked faces. Ando's revelation of meeting Mercury prior to regaining his memories had further soured the mood between the two of them, for Umino took it as a personal offence that his princess had encountered Ando or Jadeite or whichever name was appropriate these days before him.

"I have an idea."

"Please don't."

"If we find the senshi, we're bound to find Endymion. We find Endymion, we find Nephrite and Kunzite."

"Do we now." Pushing the cigarettes back into his pockets, yearning to actually light one, he sighed. "And how do we find them, you mastermind?"

"We stage a robbery in a jewellery store?"

The cursing that Umino's words gathered in return was thankfully drowned by the cheering crowd.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 - Despair & Dessert**

Cornering Ami had been easy. She was looking at some of the paintings Makoto had put up on the walls, appreciating the beauty of most and wrinkling her nose at what she perceived to be the tackiness of one. Minako remembered that her father had been a painter, but Ami barely ever mentioned him. Coming to think of it, she didn't even know whether her friend had ever told her if he was dead or alive. _Always so secretive._

"There are a few paintings in my cellar that would fit in here so well. Do you think that Makoto would care to take a look at them?" Minako smiled. "This is very thoughtful, and I am sure that she would love to see them, but I don't think that there is more room for additional ones." Gesturing at the walls, she winked at Ami. It was true, there was no unused space in the shop. It was filled to the extent that it was welcoming and homey, but more decoration would overload it, destroying the effect Makoto had worked so hard to obtain.

A blush crept over Ami's cheeks. "She might want to replace some of hers, won't she?" Her delicate fingers pointed to a small picture in a golden frame, which seemed oddly out of place amidst the depictions of flowers, landscapes and food. It featured an angel embracing a mermaid. Looking at the canvas, Minako flinched. "Usagi gave it to her for her birthday once."

She remembered how Usagi had picked it out during a shopping-spree, how her clumsy friend had tried to wrap it artfully, and how wide Makoto's smile had been upon receiving it. It was the first birthday all the girls had spent together. Then, they didn't have any memories of tragic loves in their own past, so they had appreciated the picture for its romantic notions. _We were so silly._

Now all she could see was yet another impossible love. She almost envied Ami for her ability to consider it under an artistic point of view.

Focusing on the present, she managed a quick smile. "I'm sure that she will appreciate the offer."

Hiromasa and Makoto got up to clean the plates away, with Usagi bounding after them to see if there wasn't any dessert hidden in the kitchens. "Don't you think you had enough?", Rei called after her. Laughter was the only answer the priestess received.

Sighing, she got up to follow the small delegation to the heart of Makoto's new enterprise, with an interested Mamoru at her heels. No one but Minako had been to the shop before, so they were all interested to explore it more fully.

Once everyone had left the room and before the blue-haired girl might attempt to join the others, Minako gripped Ami's hand.

"Which one did you meet?"

The girl's eyes widened, for she had obviously hoped that Mamoru's arrival a minute later than her own and his intially explosive reaction to Hiromasa had over-shadowed hers. Minako's grip became more vice-like. A perverse curiosity was gnawing at her bones, at her core, at her heart and it demanded to be satisfied.

"Ami, which one?"

The leader of the senshi hated the desperate tone in her voice, but the torn woman inside her needed to know. If it was Kunzite, _if only it wasn't Kunzite_, something was obviously wrong. This was clear from Ami not elaborating on her surprised exclamation. _Is he still evil? Please, please let him be okay, let him be good._

Before answering, Ami swiftly made sure that everyone else was still in the other room, but the banging of pots and pans, the sound of shattered china, Rei's scolding and Mamoru's soothing voice told her everything she needed to know.

"It was Jadeite."

Relief washed over Minako, a feeling so strong that any attempt to hide it would be in vain. Ami cautiously continued, her words nothing more than a hushed whisper.

"He didn't remember, Minako. It might be that he just didn't remember me, but I doubt that. What if only Neph...Hiromasa has been awakened, and all the others haven't and won't?"

Squeezing the hand she still held, Minako answered quickly, for she could hear their friends returning. "Don't tell her, and don't worry. They will all return." _Zoisite will come back to you. And he will be good._ The unspoken words hung between them, but the merry voice of Makoto banished all thoughts of evil and despair into oblivion.

"White chocolate souffle with a strawberry sauce, quick, or Usagi will have it all!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 - One Mourner to a thousand dead**

Prompt: Chill

_Yet as in some necroplis you find_

_Perchance one mourner to a thousand dead_

_So there: worn faces that look deaf and blind_

_Like tragic masks of stone. With weary tread,_

_Each wrapt in his own doom, they wander, wander,_

_Or sit foredone and desolately ponder_

_Through sleepless hours with heavy drooping head._

- James Thomson's City of Dreadful Night

Rei emerged from the tumultuous dinner first, despite having been the last to arrive. She left the chatting girls, a visibly relieved Hiromasa and a delighted, albeit still confused Mamoru behind. It seemed that everyone had welcomed the reincarnated shitennou with open arms, smiling eyes and questioning, but friendly minds.

It was not what she had expected. Not what she had expected at all. At least from Minako. It was against Venus' character to be so trusting when faced with a former enemy, and the fact that she might have arrived an hour before Rei herself did was not a sufficient explanation for this. There had been no grilling, no threatening and no scepticism directed towards the young man, which led her to believe that her leader had known long before her.

The irony of this did not escape her, but it didn't change anything. It wasn't her place to speak of Kunzite's return and if the way in which the man lived was any indicator of his personality, she would not lift a finger to bring this doubtlessly disastrous influence into her friend's life once again. Being a priestress made keeping secrets easy, but it also made being cruel impossible. This circumstance led her again to the skyscraper in which Kunzite hid from what the fire insisted on calling destiny; even though she resented every step that brought her closer to the cold emanating from his place.

It had haunted her for days after their nightly meeting, a chill she wasn't able to shake. Meditation, prayers, long conversations with her guardian spirits, nothing had helped to escape the layer of frost this meeting had put around her heart. Only meeting Usagi had had any soothing and calming effect, and Rei felt like a fool for not thinking of it earlier.

The door to his penthouse was already open when she reached it, but unlike last time, she had no wish to enter. A minute passed before he appeared at the door, his left hand holding a heavy glass of a clear liquid that was most certainly not water. Instinctively, she knew that this was a new ritual to fight his demons, but she also knew that it would not help him to achieve the peace of mind he was yearning for.

Melancholy piano music sounded through the thin walls, the open door and into the hall. Had she been a more unconditionally caring person, she would have offered him support in the form of a brief comforting touch. But he wouldn't accept it, at least not from her and she wouldn't give it, for it would contaminate her with a feeling that scared her more deeply than most monsters ever had. Loneliness was a dangerous enemy, and if you weren't careful, it could lure you in and never let you go again. Her friends had been her escape all these years ago, and she would do anything to protect them. They were her salvation, and one she wasn't willing to share with the man who had taken them from her once before. Mars never forgot.

So instead she gave him what she had been carrying with her all evening: The knowledge of Nephrite's return and thus the possibility of his own escape.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 - With Rocks and Stones and Trees**

Prompt: Forget-Me-Not

A/N: The title is actually the last line of William Wordsworth's poem A slumber did my spirit seal.

Disclaimer: None of it is mine.

He had never called in sick. He was never late. He always returned to the office halfway into his holiday, and there wasn't one occurrence of his assignments not being completed on time. His work was as precise as Swiss clockwork, his manners as refined as those of the Japanese royalty and his buildings stood as tall and proud as those of the Ancient Greek.

For years, he had defined himself through his high reliability. It was more than usual for him not be in the office soon after dawn, but he had a different agenda today, one that surpassed the new skyscraper in the Chiyoda district both in personal and professional importance.

The sort of dark suits he normally wore were not fitting for meeting his friend. But they had become his modern uniform, one without which he felt at unease, so he put it on regardless. It was a thin layer of armour between his soul and the world. So many bits and pieces about himself had fallen into place since he had discovered his past, present and glimpses of his future and he yearned for someone to make light-hearted jokes about this. Well, the time had come. He would finally meet Nephrite.

Mars had given him the address of Makoto Kino's shop, but had warned him that it was a place Venus frequented as well. The advice to arrive there before ten o' clock had been as much a command as a warning. But the senshi of war and fire failed to understand that he wasn't keen to meet Aphrodite in this time and day.

When the clock struck seven, he was already outside the small shop, leaning against the walls of the building opposite it. The windows were still dark, and all he could make out were the two flower buckets framing the entrance, lovingly filled with forget-me-nots. The soft smell of the flowers clawed at his nerves, clenching his stomach.

The sun was finally awake, shedding some light onto the cobbled street. A quick glance on his watch told him that he had been waiting for almost an hour, but what was time to him nowadays? A small sign in the shop windows told him that it would open at nine, so he expected Nephrite and the woman Mars had called Makoto Kino to appear soon.

Indeed, his thoughts were followed by the sounds of footsteps, but it were those of a woman only. Standing a bit taller, he waited for her to approach. So Makoto Kino was Jupiter, just as he had suspected. Nephrite wouldn't fall for anyone else.

She stopped dead in her track, standing so still that she seemed to turn into a statue in front of his green eyes. But the moment passed and she slowly advanced her shop, and thus him as well.

Her hands were steady as she pushed the key into the lock and turned it. Entering, she called over her shoulder: "Please come in."

Following her invitation, he carefully stepped over the threshold. "I am very sorry to disturb you, I am looking for Nephrite."

A half-smile played around her lips as she gracefully lifted two upturned chairs from their position on the table and put them on the wooden floor. "I know." She gestured for him to take a seat, but didn't join him. Instead, she went over to the coffee machine and turned it on.

Her absolute confidence and lack of fear surprised him more than he let on. Mars' reaction had been so different, and he wasn't sure whether this was because black-haired woman was more perceptive of his demons or because she had disliked him from the first moment they had laid eyes on one another in the entrance hall of the Moon Palace.

Jupiter dialled a number on an old-fashioned telephone. It actually had a cord, a proper dial and it fit the shop and the woman herself perfectly.

Her clear, fearless voice sounded through the room.

"Good morning. There is someone at the cafe for you, would you mind coming over?...Good. I'll see you in a bit."

She set out to prepare him a cup of coffee, and put it in front of him. "He will be here in a minute. If you need me, I will be in the kitchen, which is just behind the door. There are a few magazines on that shelf, and today's newspapers should be delivered any minute. If you were so kind as to accept them for me...?"

His slow, but affirmative nod set her into motion and she disappeared behind the white painted door at the back. The delivery boy brought the newspapers only minutes later, but he couldn't focus on the letters enough as to turn them into words. For the first time in his life, Takeshi was nervous, but his straight back and unshaking hands gave nothing away. He sipped some of the coffee, but found that his stomach had not forgiven him for the generous amounts of liquor he had drunk the evening before. Pushing the cup away from himself, he looked at some of the paintings on the walls.

The door flew open, and another, equally tall man bounded in, knocking over a table and several chairs on his way, before engulfing the silver-haired man in a bone-breaking embrace. Nervousness died away, and instead a seed of hope was planted in the wasteland that had been Kunzite's heart.

In the kitchen, Makoto smiled.


	18. Chapter 18

Title: In the early hours, we are all ghosts  
Prompt: Counterpart  
Genre: General, Romance  
Version: Manga  
Rating: PG

Some anomalies in the universe are big, others are small and some are not even worth mentioning. But Sailor Pluto had been taught by the experience of watching the spoils of time unfold for more years than she was willing and able to count that the full impact of today's tiny events might not hit the world until centuries have passed.

From her gates of time, she watched several places at once, wondering when the threads would finally weave together and become one again.

Minako Aino had spent the night rolling around in her bed, with sleep only inches away. But her mind was reeling, so she got up when the night had not fully ended and the morning not quite begun. It was in times like these that she was more than happy about Artemis no longer living with her. The cat guardian had found a new home in the house of Usagi's parents, where he lived alongside Luna in what was certainly a very mercurial relationship.

At six o'clock, she left her flat. She needed a plan, that much was for sure. Hiromasa was swiftly becoming a part of their group, welcome to all but Rei. Her friend's eyes at yesterday's dinner had been doubtful, and at times openly hostile. However, the sweet nature of Makoto's boyfriend would hopefully make her more accepting of him, and by extension of those that were to follow.

_Those that were to follow... Jadeite had been seen by Ami, and Kunzite, or at least the back of his head, by herself. Only Zoisite was still completely unaccounted for, but she knew that he as well would make an appearance soon. But waiting had never been for her, and while she didn't dare to search the silver-haired general, finding out whether the blond one had regained his memories was the perfect mission for herself on this frosty morning._

In order to do, she had to consult Ami. The med student had been the one to meet him before, and Minako had simply forgotten to ask where that accidental meeting had taken place. This oversight had been typical of the confused and confounded person she had become in the past weeks, but she made a solemn vow to change this. Aged 13, she had fought legions of the Dark Agency alone; aged 14, she had pretended to be the princess in order to save Serenity's life; so at the age of 22, she would not become less capable.

With renewed vigour, she hurriedly walked to the campus, bought two cups of coffee from the University's main cafe and quickly went into the department of medicine, where she knew her friend would be hidden behind the heavy oak doors of lecture hall seven. Merciless teasing was the reason why she knew were her friend was at this time of day. _Only med students were required to be thinking while other people were still fast asleep in their beds, dreaming of unicorns and rainbows, _she had told Ami more than once, especially on days when her own courses started late after noon and she had spent the morning frolicking in her spacious bed, drifting in and out of sweet slumber for hours.

Charming a male student into giving her a piece of paper and lending her his thick black marker, her icy fingers drew a small sign that read: AMI: NEEDED FOR A **GEM**ERGENCY. COME OUT!

The sign was then pushed through the door she had stealthily opened an inch, and waved around a bit. After some hushed whispers had reached her ears, a visibly flustered Ami emerged.

"Minako, what is it? I need to study. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to sneak out of a crowded lecture hall?" Minako chuckled.

"Ami, it is only embarrassing if you get caught, and if you get caught, it wasn't proper sneaking in the first place."

It took Minako precisely three minutes, forty-five seconds and the coffee she had bought especially for this endeavour to convince her studious friend to accompany her to the park.

"Do you really think that we will just meet him there?" The blue-haired girl carefully took her glasses off and placed them in their box, which then in turn disappeared in the pockets of her thick woollen coat. "I mean, it's been almost three weeks since I met him. The chances of Jadeite being there today are statistically somewhere near zero."

"Almost three weeks...That's an awfully long amount of time to stay mum about this, Ami. Why didn't you tell me? I get why you didn't tell Rei, but why not me?" The question was asked without reproach, but it stood between them nevertheless. A deep blush crept on the young woman's face that had already been reddened by the swift walk in the cold air. Silence settled between the senshi as they made their way through the yawning city, the sound of their steps dulled by the falling snow. Once they got closer to the park, Ami picked the conversation up again.

"I didn't tell you because you... Minako, after New Year's, you weren't...you weren't fine. I didn't want to contribute to whatever was causing you worry or pain. Please, don't be mad."

The blonde slowly stopped in order to face her concerned friend. It was her time to blush. _I am supposed to be their leader, and they don't dare to come to me with this sort of information because I'm so out of it. Shame on you, Minako, shame on you._

"Ami, you have nothing to apologize for." She linked her arm through that of her companion, and they moved on. After only a few seconds, she inquired: "Was it that bad?"

They stepped through the wrought iron gates of the park and walked the familiar paths, unconsciously tensing because the air was suddenly filled with chances of yet another reunion. "You were a bit...", the polite girl struggled to find the right word, so Minako jokingly cut in. "Unhinged?"

Ami's soft chuckle resonated in the frozen world, causing two men hiding behind a large weeping willow to straighten their backs and prick up their ears.

"I wanted to say beside yourself, but this works as well."

Umino took a deep breath and stepped out from behind his hiding place. He would know that voice anywhere. For the past three days, he and Ando had spent almost all day in the park, hoping that Mercury would return in order to solve the mystery of the forgotten shitennou. And indeed she had.

"See, I told you that this would be better than your foolhardy idea of robbing a bank or becoming anchormen so that they can just see us on television." The statement was solely intended to cover Ando's own dancing nerves, so Umino didn't even dignify it with a response.

They were standing out in the open now, and it was only mere seconds before the senshi would shift their eyes and see them.

Above them, in a land and a time far away, a small grey cat had joined Pluto, watching the events with as much interest as her small body could possibly contain. "So this is how Mercury and General Zoicite met again?"

Pluto nodded her head in assent, her long tresses swinging in the soft breeze that never left these holy grounds. "Yes, this is it." The kitten smiled, pondering how very fitting it was that the senshi of ice and her male counterpart should meet in a park covered in snow and frost.


	19. Chapter 19

Title: **Quae pulchra, eadem difficilia.**  
Prompt: Caress  
Genre: Romance  
Version: Manga  
Rating: PG

_Oh my God..._

Minako had spotted the two blond men a second before she felt her friend freeze beside her. Decidedly, she moved forwards, thus breaking the link Ami's and her arm had formed. The taller of the two, whom she immediately identified as Jadeite despite the two-hundred meters that lay between them, strode towards her as well. Their feet made crunchy sounds on the fresh snow, but the silence was nevertheless overwhelming and booming in her head.

_If both of them are here, they remember. They must remember._

Stopping once they faced each other, she allowed herself to smile. This man wasn't a threat to her.

"I take it you remember now?"

"I do." He bowed his head in acknowledgement. "And so does Umino." He gestured to the man who was rooted to the spot behind him, still positioned close to the weeping willow as if the old tree could offer him support. She didn't need to turn her head to know that Ami had not moved an inch.

_Oh Ami, how well I understand you._

She extended her gloved hand, mirroring the welcome she had given Hiromasa. There was only one shitennou who she would have trouble facing, and he wasn't here.

_Yet._

"I go by Minako here." As an afterthought, she added: "But you may call me Venus, if you wish."

Ando's face remained solemn, as he took her hand and shook it reverently.

"Minako, my name is Ando. I am very happy to meet you in these times and days." His eyes had scanned their surroundings while he had walked towards her, so he knew that there were no other senshi around. Mars was either unaware of his existence, or she chose not welcome him. Neither would be a surprise to him, for he knew that the princess of fire and revenge had been lost to him as soon as he lifted his sword against the Moon Kingdom in that thrice-damned war.

Finally turning around to face her friend, Minako made a decision. Her eyes flitted from Ami to Zoisite and back again.

"How about we take a walk and I fill you in? A lot has happened since you met Ami two weeks ago." Jadeite responded with a nod. Mercury and Umino stared at each other from a distance and he felt certain that he was imposing on a moment so private that it belonged in rooms with heavy doors that could keep the world at bay and stop time itself.

She led Jadeite past Ami, whose eyes left the man in the distance hesitantly. Minako raised her hand and stroked her friend's frighteningly pale cheek in a most tender caress. There wasn't much she could do for her now, other than leaving her alone to find a way to deal with this undoubtedly monumental change in her very being.

"We'll leave you alone for a while. Please call if you need me."

And with that, they strode away, leaving the former lovers in a park in today's Tokyo, unsure of how to move again when the whole world was shaking and spinning beneath them.


	20. Chapter 20

Title: **What dreams may come**

Prompt: Sacrifice

Genre: General

Version: Manga

Rating: PG

A/N: Title is also that of a favourite movie of mine, but this ficlet is not nearly as sad or good as the film.

Makoto's shop remained closed that day, which was a minor sacrifice considering what was gained during these few hours. She had kept herself occupied by trying out a new recipe for a wedding cake, anticipating that she would actually earn a large part of her living with orders for such happy occasions as weddings. At times Hiromasa's shouting voice would reach her ears, and Kunzite's quiet, but firm response would follow shortly thereafter.

Hating to eavesdrop, she turned on the small radio that Minako had given her as a present for opening the shop, joking that Makoto might find a name for the still unchristened business while listening to some music.

Pursing her lips in concentration, the chef prepared some icing, but found the recipe wanting in precision. 'Add lemon juice', it read. _How many drops of lemon juice? One? Five? A million?_ Her partner's voice interrupted her musings.

"Mako? Would you like to join us?"

A visible delighted Hiromasa leaned in the door frame, drumming his fingers against the white-painted wood. Putting the beater into the silvery sink, and then washing the sticky icing sugar of her hands, she answered: "Of course I would." Grabbing a plate filled with chocolate-chip muffins and macadamia cookies, she followed him back into the main room.

The silver-haired man at the table looked infinitely better than he had several hours ago. Colour had returned to his face, banishing the sickly paleness that had dominated it earlier. He was leaning almost casually in his chair, but got up as soon as he heard herself and Hiro approach. He inclined his head in a shortened bow, and waited until she had put the plate down on the table before extending his hand to her.

"When we met earlier, I neglected to properly introduce myself. Please accept my apologies." Laughing, Hiromasa took a seat. "Takeshi, I sincerely doubt that Mako is going to hold that against you." A quick smile on the chef's face supported this sentiment, but she took his hand and shook it, knowing and remembering that the general valued manners above many other things. He had always been unfailingly polite, which was why he and Venus had been such an unlikely couple. She wondered how long it would be before the man would enquire after his former love.

The next hour was spent in deep conversation, and the young women marvelled at how at ease the two men were. They had some trouble with the modern names, but there was obviously an unspoken agreement to leave Kunzite and Nephrite in the past, so they were trying their best to become used to Hiromasa and Takeshi instead.

Around noon, their moved their small group into the kitchen, where Makoto scoffed and laughed at the chaos Hiromasa produced as the cooked them his special version of Chilli Con Carne. Even Takeshi's guarded face lit up in a grin that still managed to remain dignified when his talking friend proceeded to throw more and more spices into the boiling food without even looking at what it was that he was so generously adding to the already manifold mix.

While Hiromasa put the finishing touches to their lunch, Takeshi and Makoto laid out the table. They had talked about Mamoru, Usagi, when they should meet, briefly touched the topic of living-arrangements and what sort of job he had, but two important matters had not been addressed yet.

"Takeshi?" He looked in her eyes, and sighed inwardly. He knew what was about to come, and he had been surprised that it had taken her so long.

"I will not ask you how you knew where to find us, but I need you to know, to understand that I will not lie to her. She is my friend, in more ways than one, and in every way that counts, so I will tell her about your return and sincerely hope that this is a decision that will not stand between us, and more importantly, not between you and Hiro." She had grasped from the few hours in his company that he would avoid Minako as long as he possibly could, for reasons that he would never elaborate on.

A sad smile touched the corners of his mouth.

"Tell her."


	21. Chapter 21

Title: **Moments**

Theme: "Ashes & Wine" by a Fine Frenzy

Genre: Tragedy, Romance

Version: Manga

Rating: PG

He had always admired Kunzite's steely resolve, envied Jadeite's ability to make himself heard and adored Nephrite's easy-going nature. They were as much friends as they were brothers-in-arms, but when they turned on Endymion, they turned on each other and thus on themselves. Zoisite had been the first to go, so much more susceptible to Beryl's delusions of grandeur than his seemingly stronger friends. He was the weakest link, and he had known it all along.

_  
The world around him was filled with a white-hot rage, and he ran screaming into the battle, blood pounding his ears and dripping from his hands._

~ ~ ~

_Don't know if our fate's already sealed  
This day's spinning surface on a wheel_

~ ~ ~

He never knew why he fell for Mercury the way that he did. But he found himself seeking her company whenever he was sent to the Moon Kingdom for some diplomatic mission or as the guard of the visiting prince. They would share a glass of wine in the spacious library, the ashes from the fireplace dancing through the air like dark fireflies. Their conversation never strayed to matters of the heart, and until the day he died in a blizzard of irate ice, his feelings for her had remained unspoken.__

The cold seeped into his bones, ripping his soul apart in ways not even Beryl could have imagined it her cruellest moments. He could have easily killed the senshi, but his re-emerging heart wanted her to live the happily ever after she deserved. Mercury belonged in a realm of knowledge and books, not on a battle-field. He turned his powers on himself, not willing to take this beautiful being out of this world- it was his last and only act of defiance against Metallia. When Kunzite's heavy blade struck the crying girl, Zoisite had already left this world behind.

~ ~ ~

A fragment of light at the end of the tunnel?  
A reason to fight?

As a child, Umino had often dreamed to stand in a snow covered landscape, devoid of the sound of his own thoughts. It had been a pleasant dream, one that soothed him above anything else, for he had a restless mind that was constantly spinning with thoughts as sharp as broken glass, never giving him a minute of peace. Only when he met Mercury's reincarnation in the park years later did he know that it wasn't a dream, but a prophesy that waited to be fulfilled.

_An hour passed before he finally trusted his feet to carry him to her. It took him another year to tell her that he had loved her long ago, and still did. It would take the rest of their lives to make up for the opportunities missed by in the Silver Millenium, but they had finally arrived where they were destined to be._


	22. Chapter 22

Title: **how to engage in friendly small-talk and how to ruin it , all in one easy step**

Theme: Bubblegum

Genre: General

Version: Manga

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine at all.

Recently, she had spent a lot of time walking around in the bloody freezing streets of Tokyo, Minako realised while she and Jadeite strolled aimlessly around the city, changing topics as frequently as the traffic lights shifted from green to red and back again in a never-ending circle of rules that could easily be followed for the benefits of all. Life could be so simple.

_You're getting all philosophical because of traffic lights? Great, the time has obviously come to face the truth: I need a psychiatrist._

The man on her right chuckled, and a genuine smile spread on his face. The senshi raised an eyebrow inquiringly, before it hit her. "You can do that mind-reading thing again, right?"

The chuckle turned into laughter, and she swatted him on the arm with the full force of a twenty-two year-old student. Venus' strength was reserved for other occasions.

"That's not fair! Really, Ando, it isn't!" But her voice was merry, and the shitennou briefly marvelled at how quickly she taken to both his new name and to his presence.

Despite being the one to have regained the most memories, some things only resurfaced from the depths of Minako's mind when triggered by the person they revolved around in the first place. Venus and Jadeite had been friends in the Silver Millenium, and not of the distant kind. He alone of the other shitennou had been aware of the blossoming, yet difficult romance between his general and the leader of Serenity's guard, and he hadn't found out about it by reading her mind. She had told him on her own accord, a circumstance that led to a loud shouting match with the normally so controlled Kunzite.

_But then, getting him to show emotions of whichever kind was always my main ambition, wasn't it?_

Ando remained silent this time, not giving away whether he had followed her thoughts or not.

Anxious to steer clear of the more problematic topics in their repertoire, she emphatically stated: "Can you tell me how it is humanly possible that a blonde woman and a men with a mop of black hair produce a baby with bubble gum-pink locks?"

The next half an hour was spent on what she knew about the so-far unconceived Chibi-Usa and some of the funnier stories about her visits from the future, elegantly navigating the conversation away from the lurking cliffs. Several passers-by regarded smiled at the joking and laughing pair, wrongly assuming that were a couple.

"We take a turn left here", she quipped at the next crossroad. After a few more or less subtle directions, it begun to dawn on him that they weren't wandering around nearly as aimlessly as she had made him believe.

"I see you are still sneaky."

Her blue eyes widened in mock innocence. "I have never been sneaky, my dear. Never ever. In my life. In any of my lives, come to think of it." Her steps had not slowed during the exchange, and apparently wouldn't until they reached their destination.

" So you expect me to just follow you around like a lovesick puppy? Wrong man, Minako dearest. Or does my hair look white to you? I sincerely hope not. I might not be as vain as Ando, but I would hate to age before my time." He regretted the words as soon as they had left his mouth. _Damn it._

" Well, you do look... sort of alike, really...I mean...You're both ...men, you know?" She finished lamely, and pretending that she was okay swiftly began to eat up most of what was left of her steely resolve not to run home and hide under her covers whenever his name or person was mentioned. _Been there, done that and it hasn't helped. _

Ando snuggled deeper into his scarf, feeling shame and regret sharpening their knives.

"I'm not cross with you, Ando. I'm fine." He sceptically faced her again, but kept his tongue in check so as to not spoil the mood any more than already done. They might have left the park to give Mercury and Umino some time to reconcile, but their own reunion as friends was just as important and he was on the best way to ruining it with his verbal idiocy.

"But seeing as the mood is dampened anyway, how about I tell you where I am taking you?" The people passing them by on the now crowded streets were blissfully unaware of all the emotional baggage that had just been dumped on the corner of Stupidity and Foolhardiness, and to say he envied them in their obliviousness was the understatement of the century.

"Why, oh why am I certain that I'm not going to like this? Let me guess, you are taking me to Mount Doom, ready to throw me in the lava." Ando's meek attempt to lighten the mood again failed spectacularly, for Minako's face had taken on the same solemn expression it had had in the park.

"Close. We are going to a shrine."

"How exactly is a shrine close to Mount Doom?"

She responded by finally stopping and gesturing up a long flight of stairs.

"I will go up and tell her about you, and if you want me to, and if she allows it, I will come and get you in a minute."

A bus stopped at the station right in front of them, and a number of chatting girls escaped it and begun to make their way to the shrine. They were going to pray for a good result in today's math test, for a date with the boy they secretly fancied and maybe, just maybe they would remember someone they had lost.

_He looks so stricken._

She immediately reached for his hand and gave it a quick squeeze, giving him whatever reassurance she could.

_Fantastic, the senshi of love reunites loved ones and they look at me as if they were Anne Boleyn on her way to have her head chopped off._

His prolonged silence was rightly interpreted as a confirmation, so she ascended the stairs, hoping that she would play Cupid rather than Charon.


	23. Chapter 23

Title: **Smashing near, Smoldering far**

Theme: Holy

Genre: General

Version: Anime

Rating: G

The shrine was spotless. The paths leading to it visible gray snakes sliding through the over-whelming white. The traditional clothes of the shrine-maidens pressed neatly into perfection. A thin layer of snow hung on the trees, and it kept on falling as if it were to protect the holy ground from being sullied by the traces of footfalls. Wind had risen.

Two black ravens sat on a branch, miraculously untouched by the falling flakes and unmoved by the air's movement that caused the shrine's silver bells to tinkle in order to deliver the messages placed by the praying visitors. Once the guardians noticed the approaching blonde, they started into the sky in search of their mistress. The girls met under the spindly branches of an oak tree that seemed bend on gripping their hair and tangling it into confused webs, binding them to this place forevermore.

But Minako Aino was not to be bound to anything. She impatiently put her hair into a ponytail so that neither the fresh wind nor the wild branches could tempt it into staying were it didn't belong. Also, she doubted that she wanted to be anywhere near the centre of apocalypse that this place was to become once she shared her news.

"I have something to tell you. As your friend, but also as your leader." The statement hung ominously in the air, commanding respect and understanding where likely neither would dwell.

"Hiromasa is not the only shitennou who has returned. Ami met Jadeite in a park about three weeks ago, but then, he had not regained his memories. This has changed recently due to him accidentally running into Zoisite. Ami and Zoisite are talking as we speak."

Rei had gone, and Mars had taken her place. It was something Artemis had never told her, but you didn't need to wear a fuku and lift a pen to turn into a senshi. Still dressed as priestress, the heiress of the long since destroyed world of fire and war stood before her, anger not clouding her eyes but making them so clear that a lesser person would have winced and run away into safety.

"He is waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and if you want me to, I will go and get him. He is back; he remembers. The rest is up to you."

Having said all she needed to, Minako let the uneasy silence envelop her. Still facing her friend, holding her ground, fearing for the worst.

"Take him away, and yourself with him. You have no place being here. Go." The last word struck her as a slap might have, but it stung far worse. The laughter of the visiting schoolgirls reached her ears, and she marvelled at how long ago they had been this carefree.

Mars strode away, every single step oozing of rage and royalty.


	24. Chapter 24

Title: **let us sway together, under the trees, and to hell with thunder**

Theme: Pledge

Rating: G

A/N: The title comes from the Edwin Morgan poem Valentine weather.

There were these minutes in which time just sped up, taking everything down in an avalanche of events and emotions, and leaving nothing but broken bones and broken hearts behind.

Minako Aino sat in front of her ever-turning washing machine, staring at the tumbling, listening to its swishing and waiting to drown.

*

She had slowly tread down each step that brought her closer to the waiting man, who had expected nothing but rage from the woman she called her friend. Looking at him, she silently shook her head, while tears formed in her blue eyes. No words were spoken between them on the way back, but they did exchange numbers and addresses and even though none of them voiced it, both felt utterly miserable in a way that made it hard for them to breath.

*

Ami and Umino had spent hours in the freezing cold, but it had healed worse wounds than the sinking temperatures could inflict. Things were awkward between the two of them and both knew that changing this would take more time than one day could offer, so they decided to return to the company of those they held dear. Ando didn't pick up his phone, but Umino yearned to meet his lost friends and Amy needed Makoto's comforting warmth to help her find her footing in this shaking world.

*

Rhythmic sweeps kept the priestress occupied. Her grandfather had dared to tell her that after two hours, the shrine was cleaner than it had ever been and that nothing could be gained from continuing, but he didn't understand and an accusatory glare sent him into silence. Her hands gripped the broom tightly, and her fingers were so pale that they resembled the tumbling snow more than human skin under which blood was supposed to be flowing. But the rhythm was not to be alienated, and so she went on and on and on.

*

"There is something going on today.", Mamoru said as he stroked his wife's hair.

She raised herself on her elbows and met his eyes shrewdly.

His hands stopped their caress, wanting to know what she was keeping from him, but nothing would prompt the future queen to speak on this matter. It was rare, but there were times when she reigned her emotions and her words in, all of them, and allowed the world to unfold without trying to rush it. Watching the snow fall, she cuddled back into the crook of his neck, leaving Mamoru's curiosity unsatisfied, but his worry crushed. His trust in her judgement was absolute.

*

They had lost sense of time completely, all they knew was that this was a rare moment of friendship forming. The air resonated with promises of a happy future and even Takeshi allowed himself to briefly hope while watching these two people who were clearly destined to be together. How he had not seen this in a lifetime past was beyond him now, but the love in Hiromasa's eyes said it all. Looking around the shop, he wondered when he would be allowed to sit here and enjoy their company again.

*

A shy smile accompanied her words. "This is it, Makoto's shop. I'd be very surprised if we wouldn't meet Hiromasa in here." Umino had started to tap his feet against the icy pavement, but there was no rhythm in his movements. They were erratic, frantic, lost. After a polite knock, Ami opened the door. Her silent question as to why the closed-sign hung in the window when it wasn't even six p.m. was answered when she beheld the long silver hair of the man whose very straight back was turned to her. Umino teetered on the spot for what felt like eternity, before following the blue-haired woman into an ocean of remembrance.

*

Meeting not one, but two of his shitennou was more than he had anticipated. Takeshi had been within these walls for more than twelve hours by now, but it still only felt like minutes.

Darkness had fallen outside, and the small space was filled with words and smiles that seemed to belong to other men and other times. Umino had tried to reach Ando, but to no avail. The number of messages on the man's answering machine had now moved into a towering two-digit zone, but it remained the three of them in the company of two welcoming senshi. Takeshi had asked Makoto to silently arrange a meeting with Mamoru for the following day, and the brunette had happily obliged him hours ago by notifying Usagi, who would tell his prince sometime tomorrow.

Tonight, he had yet another reunion to initiate, one that would have to happen before he pledged his heart, soul and loyalty to the future king of this planet. Especially his heart.

*

He had never believed that slowly taking a plaster off would hurt less than ripping it off without warning. She had always been the same. He quietly pulled Makoto aside, but Hiromasa's eyes followed her anywhere she went. His voice sounded like a doctor's upon delivering the news of death. "Call her now, please."

*

Minako Aino sat in front of her washing machine, and counted the turns the single sock in it made time and again. The firm knock on her door caused her to miss the last one. She opened the door and the avalanche rushed from the mountain. She drowned.


	25. Chapter 25

Title: **Bang back the Shutters**

Theme: Striptease

Genre: Angst, Romance

Version: Manga

Rating: R, to be safe.

_And it goes like this._

An open door, a cold breeze, two hearts beating in a volcanic rhythm.

_And it goes like this._

Precisely one minute and fifty-three seconds pass into nothingness, before bold steps are taken and the door slams shut.

_And it goes like this._

Frantic hands, frantic minds, and frantic hopes. One touch sends them over the edge. They fall.

_And it goes like this._

He lifts her up and carries her into the bedroom, her legs already snaked around his hips in a mimicry of what is to come.

_And it goes like this._

Bites, and kisses; kicks and moans; tugging and stroking; crying and shouting.

_And it goes like this._

Hiding in the darkness just as they used to. Love and lust, shame and content, fear and hope, all rushing over them in waves, but tonight, they will not let it stand between them. Tomorrow is a different matter.

_And it goes like this._

They sleep next to each for the first time. It is alien, it is right. Both wonder if the world would have been a different one if they had spent one night next to each other until the morning broke, instead of making their love a thing of the night.

_And it goes like this._

The sun rises and he gets up, feeling utterly out of place in her already bright apartment. He is not made for rooms which are filled with candles, pillows, and a girl so beautiful that the stars look at her in envy.

_And it goes like this._

She pretends not to hear him leave. But there is no escaping now, they are already in too deep. A strangled cry escapes her throat as she realizes that she doesn't even know the name he carries now.

_And it goes like this._

Fear makes his stomach twist and ache and turn and empty. They were meant to talk last night, this had been the intention of his visit. But words had not been exchanged. His composure is slipping away and it lays his soul bare. He is sick on the street, glad that no one seems to be around.

_And it goes like this._

Her home smells of him. Even though he's only been in the hall and her bedroom, his presence is everywhere. On the middle of her polished hardwood floors lies her heart, bleeding.

_And it goes like this._

She turns the washing machine on and sits down in front of it again, watching the pulsing bloody mass not far away in estranged wonder and present pain.


	26. Chapter 26

Title: Love is the Honour that kills and saves

A/N: The title comes from a line in the Edwin Morgan poem "Love".

Four tall men knelt in front of another one, a scene quite unusual even for the polite 20th century Tokyo. People would have been wondering at this behaviour, had anyone been around to see it. But magic was at work, so the park remained blissfully empty under the watchful afternoon sun. Three young women stood a little aside, close enough to one another to draw warmth from their company. It was supposed to be different, for there were two among their midst that were missing, and their absence was felt dearly, but it wasn't to be changed. Usagi had left countless messages on Minako's answering machine, but her friend had decided to stay away. It had fallen to Makoto to inform Rei, but the meeting had not been a pleasant one. After the priestress had told the cook in very clipped words that she had no intentions whatsoever to see four men make vows that they would break within two weeks time, Makoto had begun to defend Hiromasa and an argument ensued that shook the whole shrine and nearly left Rei's grandfather deaf on one ear. Fuming, Makoto had left.

Once the tallest of the group began to pledge his loyalty to his prince, Mamoru lifted his hand, interrupting the silver-haired solemn man. The air shifted and instead of a snow-covered lawn, their eyes beheld the lush green gardens of Elysion. Instead of bundles of warm clothes, the men were dressed in their uniforms. The brunette and the blue haired women were wearing long flowing dresses in colours that would be impossible to see in a world without magic, but the biggest change has transpired before all of them. Their prince had become their king. And next to him stood once again Serenity, who was so very unlike her 20th century counterpart. It was as much a coronation as it was a meeting among old friends.

"I will accept your friendship and your service, but not in the same way it used to be."

Four faces fell. They had always known that their betrayal was unforgivable, but they had hoped to prove themselves.

"Pledge your loyalty to me, your lives. But not your hearts, for I could never give mine to anyone but her, and I strongly suspect that you feel the same way. So let us not begin our new chance by starting with a lie. Give me what you can, but make no false promises."

Next to him, Serenity smiled. The man Mamoru, the orphan, might have wanted his friends all for himself, but the prince Endymion was a different matter. He now knew that loyalty could not bloom where a full live was forbidden. Jupiter's face had lit up upon hearing his words, and when Nephrite was the first to speak, her world was whole.

"My king, I vow to protect your life and your happiness above everything else. I will die for you, if it is necessary and I thank you for what you are so graciously giving us." When they had made their first vows to the prince so long ago, the words had been different. They had pledged heart, soul, and body to their prince, but meeting the princesses of the inner planets had turned them into traitors long before the witch-queen clawed her cruel fingers into their souls.

Jadeite was the second one to find his voice, depressed and delirious at the same time, for he was unsure whether he would ever be truly allowed to make use of the chance his prince had offered him. Mars' friendship wasn't easy to attain, her love even less so and her forgiveness seemed to be impossible to get a hold of. But he had met his fellows again, and he was grateful for the sense his live now made.

"My king, I vow to protect your life and that of your queen in all the years that are to come."

The birds twittered, and on a hill in the far distance, a unicorn grazed, unbothered by the visitors to these holy lands. They had a right to be here, they always had as long as their hearts were pure. Zoisite felt deeply touched by this. He remembered his last visit to Elysion well, it was minutes before he left to attack the moon and everything he held dear. The birds had shot in the darkening sky then, trying to put as much distance between this monster he had become and themselves. All he had heard of the unicorn had been the violent sounds of its hooves hitting the ground in a symphony of fear as it sped away.

His voice was softer than Jadeite's and Nephrite's, but the benevolent wind brought it to Endymion's waiting ears.

"My prince, my king. I promise you my friendship first and my loyalty second, for one cannot live where the other doesn't exist."

Kunzite knelt deeply, a statue of calm in this peaceful land. He belonged here as much as Endymion did, and the place offered him peace he had not found anywhere but in her arms. Once upon a time, he had wanted to be a priest, but the path chosen for him had been a different one. Despite being reborn, he could still feel the blood on his hands and the stains on his soul. He would speak the old vow, the one that forbid a life outside of the king's presence, making him the most efficient general he could be. He would not stray again, he had to atone for his sins.

His green eyes opened and he lifted his thoughtful face to meet his king's, but he met the shimmering eyes of the moon princess first. Hers was a silent plea not to waste away their mutual friend's only hope at happiness and his own at that.

He sighed. The rumours about the people of the moon had been true then, they really did have a special hold on everybody's hearts, and the princess was the epitome of this power.

"My king. I will be all you desire me to be and your life and your queen's will come before mine at all times."

"So be it."

As soon as the words were spoken, they found themselves in the park again, the snowflakes dancing around them, inviting them to see their future. Hiromasa got up first, and immediately held out his hand to Makoto, who took it gratefully. Gloved fingers entwined, they approached Mamoru. They were not to be separated, and they didn't need to hear 'until death do us part', when it was etched in their very souls.

The brunette hugged Mamoru tightly, and Hiromasa soon followed her movement. It was strange, she mused, that despite all they had gone through together, this was their first embrace. A whispered "Thank you" reached his ears, and Mamoru knew his decision had been right.

***

Her answering machine had been blinking for hours, but Minako knew what it would say and didn't care to be around when he would be taken from her yet again. Only after her neighbours had shouted angrily through the walls that it was enough laundry and that the resonating rumbling of her washing machine drove them round the bend, did she stop it and got herself up from her coveted spot on the floor. A shower couldn't wash away her memories, and the scent of him clung to her every pore. Ever since he had touched her, her mind was a swirling vortex. She remembered everything. Glances, words, touches, all that had been hidden in the past was brought to daylight and she knew that there was nothing in this world to help her make sense of it all.

The last night had been everything and nothing. She yearned for more, but he had stolen out of her bed like a thief in the night and the sound of every step of his away from her had wounded her deeply. Love was violent.

But there was a place that could offer her some consolation. So her steps lead her once again to the shrine that Rei called home. The priestress didn't welcome her with open arms, but she didn't send her away either. They sat next to each other on a hard bench, one being swallowed by the loss of the one person she had always missed, the other consumed by angry disappointment over the one person she had ever chosen to share her heart with. Letting the senshi in hadn't been a choice, they just appeared and claimed what had always been theirs. Without them, she wasn't complete.

Rei took Minako's icy hand, and together the girls waited for the darkness to eat up their pain.


	27. Chapter 27

Title: Let the storm wash the plates.

A/N: Another title nicked from Morgan's poetry. This one is from_ Strawberries_.

***

When she returned from the shrine long after night had fallen, she most certainly didn't expect him to wait in front of her door. Had she listened to the drum of her own heart, she would have known before turning around the corner of the hall. Where another man might have casually lounged against the wall, he stood still in military perfection.

All that stillness went out of the window as soon as they had entered her flat, and just like the night before, they were all touch and no words. And just like before, come morning, he left.

***

The trainer clad feet made crunchy sounds as they hit the ground time and again. Usagi tried her best not to drop dead and to continue running, but her lungs felt as if she had been held under water by a teasing Rei for too long a time. Panting, she stopped and focused on breathing, the pain in her sides strangely not subsiding, but getting worse instead. The other blonde didn't notice that her companion had fallen behind and ran and ran and ran.

***

The pink clock on her kitchen wall struck nine, and a knock propelled her to the door in an instant. It has to be him, it has to! And indeed, it was. The third evening in a row that he had come to her, but their movements remained just as needy. Before he pushed into her, she used her hands to hold him at bay. Confusion flitted across his striking features.

"Your name", she panted, "tell me your name."

***

The girls finished their round, and Usagi wondered if she would ever enjoy this sort of activity. It was gruesome, and the fact that it was still so early in the morning added insult to injury.

Seeing how air was hard to come by, her words came out ragged, and she held on to her sides in order to appease the pain.

"You haven't been to class the last two days, have you?"

Minako bent down to re-tie the laces of her trainers.

***

It was a bold move, but it had to work. On the front of her door, carefully kept in place by sticky tape, was the spare key to her flat. When she heard it turn in her lock three hours later, she knew that she had not overstepped the invisible boundary that had been drawn between them by the past's misdeeds and the present's fears.

They didn't even make it to the bedroom.

***

"Tell me again why you're getting up now?", a voice murmered into his pillow. Usagi, resisting the urge to smack her husband, answered with barely concealed desperation.

"Because Minako has this weird thing where she goes running at neck-breaking speed in order to come to terms with Takeshi's return. And running isn't the right way to come to terms with anything, let alone resurrected--"

"Re-incarnated", the sleepy voice interrupted.

"Resurrected lovers. So when she wants to talk, which is hopefully sometime soon, or I won't get to being queen, I will be there."

Pulling the blanket over his head, Mamoru slipped away into blissful sleep again and his wife entered the cool morning to meet her friend in front of the park's gates.

***

The familiar, firm knock sounded through her flat. She got up from the couch, only to sit down again. This is ridiculous. He has a key. Another knock followed. Fine, then! She shot up and stalked to the door. The not talking part she could cope with. The leaving before morning thing? Fine as well. But not using the bloody key was a rejection of the fragile truce between them, and that was most certainly not okay. Ripping the door open, she stared at him with blazing eyes, but not a single word came to her mind.

"My name is Takeshi."

This night, they linked their fingers while sleeping.

***

Suddenly, she stumbled and fell to the ground in an ungraceful heap. It was more than a minute before Usagi had reached her, dropping down beside the exhausted girl.

"Are you okay?"

Minako had her eyes closed, her hands balled in tight fists.

"Mi, are you okay?"

It was a mark of their friendship that Usagi spoke at all, because her entire body was on fire and she sincerely hoped that whatever was going on between Minako and Takeshi would be resolved soon. Soon as in now. Now as in ten minutes ago. Ten minutes ago as in before the stitches in her side got so bad that she was convinced they were worse than giving birth to Chibi-Usa would be. And that child had a huge head.

Minako pulled herself together and got up. She wouldn't surrender. She wouldn't break. Not yet. "I'd say we ran enough for today, come on." She offered Usagi her hand and lifted her up, and the two of them slowly walked out of the park, with aching feet and stinging sides.

***

It was her that left the bed this night. She went into the bathroom and took a long, hard look in the mirror, not quite sure whether she liked what she saw. He had been awake the minute she got up, even though their bodies weren't touching. When she didn't return after what felt like an eternity and was actually eleven minutes, he arose and followed her, his steps the lone sound. He found her in the living-room, sitting on the obscenely large red couch, surrounded by a myriad of pillows. It pained him to see her looking so fragile, and it would have been better had she been clutching a pillow close to her heart. But she was all poise and no comfort. Sitting down next to her, they waited for the morning to come.

***

"Mamoru, wake up."

A strong arm pulled her back into bed again, hoping to keep her from talking.

"I'm serious. Wake up."

Her insistence tugged at the corners of his consciousness, but he had worked a night shift at the hospital and for some reason, people insisted on crashing their cars the minute he fell asleep in the on-call-room, which meant that no, he wasn't getting up.

"Minako doesn't sleep enough", the voice pressed and snaked out of his embrace, only to make annoying tapping movements on his forehead.

"Neither do I, love. Have mercy."

***

She waited for him in front of her building.

"Let's go to your place tonight."

They walked next to each other through the cold night. The snow had been replaced by rain, but the icy wind had remained to keep them company on their journey. She remembered how she had fallen in love with him upon hearing his roaring laugh, and suddenly couldn't stand the silence any longer.

She tugged on the sleeve of his expensive coat, demanding attention in a way a child might have.

"I am hungry."

The barest hint of a smile played around the edges of his mouth and he responded very levelly: "I think I will be able to accommodate you."

An hour later, in his gleaming kitchen, she watched him cook.

***

The Ghostbusters theme rang through the quiet bedroom. Usagi fumbled for her phone with eyes still closed and opened them only reluctantly. It might be five o'clock, but that meant she still had an hour before she had to get up for that thrice-damned running.

Peering her left eye open, she read the text message and fell promptly asleep again, dreaming of running knights, snoring princesses and dragons made out of coffee.

The message that had gotten such an understated response read: "No running today, meet you for coffee after classes."

***

His place was cold, and she hated every single piece of furniture in it with a passion, but they still sat at the large kitchen table, looking at each other and occasionally, just occasionally, exchanging a word.

Morning had come.


	28. Chapter 28

Title: Tick Tick Tick Boom

A/N: The title was taken from one of my favourite episodes of Gilmore Girls.

***

It was so strange. Her friend Minako, who had always rivalled Usagi in terms of sleep-induced laziness had taken to showing up at the shop at seven thirty every morning. And to top that, the girl had been out for a run before that!

"Do you want a coffee?"

Her question was rewarded by a broad smile, and the blonde began to lift the chairs from the tables in an attempt to make herself useful.

"So how is the business?"

Makoto gently placed the delicate cup on the counter that was already filled with several cakes she had prepared yesterday evening.

"It's going good. Of course, it would go better if Usagi didn't eat half of the food I prepare without paying, but I am attracting more and more customers. Hiromasa has told some friends of his about the place, and they brought friends in turn and so on."

Toying with the cup, Minako looked up at the brunette. "Don't you find it strange?"

Absent-mindedly, Makoto rearranged some of the displays. "What do you mean?"

"Well, they have had complete lives before...well, before us. They have friends, they have families. At least Hiromasa does, I'm not sure whether Takeshi hasn't been dropped into being by a giant figure of stone and raised by a group of monks who all took a vow of silence."

"So you're still not talking, are you?"

She sighed.

"Not really. Talking is a bit scary, lots of land mines in the vicinity and I think we're both afraid to accidentally step on one and destroy the whole thing in an instant. So not talking is easier, but it is also very frustrating."

Out of all the senshi, Makoto was the only one with whom Minako had shared what was going on between herself and Takeshi. She did need a shoulder to cry on from time to time, and Rei was too judgemental, Ami (bless her heart)a little bit too prudish and Usagi would probably tell Mamoru, who would in turn talk to Takeshi, and that wasn't acceptable. Artemis would just drop dead. Artemis, I am sleeping with Takeshi. Sleeping, but not talking. Swell, isn't it? Allowing the scenario to unfold in her mind, she grinned.

***

"You look miserable."

Ando threw his room-mate an angry glare that clearly told him to keep his pretty nose out of things that weren't his business if he wanted to his vanity to remain justified.

"Fine, suit yourself. I'm meeting Ami for a quick cup of coffee on campus."

The door couldn't shut fast enough behind Umino, whose step had taken on a cheerful bounce at the prospect of meeting his soon-to-be girlfriend. Restless, Ando got up and walked through the flat the two of them were sharing. None of them cared for cleaning up after them, so it was already a mess. Several unpacked boxes loomed in a corner and the only things that had been set up properly in their respective rooms were their beds and their desks with their computers on them.

It was another side-effect of that reincarnation thing, having to live with someone in a still strange and rather unwelcoming city, devoid of fun and friends. His eyes fell on the small pink slip of paper, on which Minako had scribbled her address and phone number two weeks ago. They hadn't seen each other since then, and the only person he had been in contact with outside the shitennou had been his editor, who had repeatedly threatened to fire him if he didn't pay bi-weekly to New York. Not that this was something new. It was their ritual. Shouting led to more shouting, with led to Ando hanging up and actually doing his work. He needed this sort of incentive, but he wouldn't admit it anyone, his editor in particular.

He had kept a low profile in Tokyo, but it was against his very nature and to say that he was fed up with it was an understatement. He grabbed the slip of paper, his keys, a book and his jacket and set out in the afternoon. Luckily, his job allowed him to just move from one city to the next. Being a journalist came with many benefits, if one didn't care about being rich. Which he certainly didn't.

His parents had it all: Two houses, a prized poodle and a maid, but none of that appealed to him. Aged 26, he was successful enough in his profession to be independent and ruthless enough to cut the ties that still bound him to his family. The only thing he had not been able to just leave behind was her. But that had to with their story never having reached a proper conclusion, he supposed. He was a sticker for the right sort of endings, his stories never left any questions open, his book reviews always told his readers precisely whether or not a book deserved to be a success or a failure; but with her, nothing was set in stone.

_"Haven't I told you to go away?"_

_He smirked, and walked closer instead of heeding her unspoken warning._

_"You may have, but you also kissed me last night right after the words left your mouth, so which one of your commands do you really want me to follow, most noble and honourable Lady Mars?"_

_She made to turn and leave his jesting behind, but he grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her towards his lean figure._

_Her eyes were two raging violet orbs, conflict showing in them in the same way that lust was etched in his._

_"One day, Jadeite, I will tell you to leave and I will mean it. Do not be so foolish to extend your welcome then, for it will not be pleasant."_

_***  
_

"I am so sorry, Sir. He just walked in! I told him you were busy, but he didn't listen!"

The stout woman's face resonated with anger at his disrespect, but Ando wasn't an excellent reporter for listening to the word 'no'.

"It's okay, Miss Fukuda. He is an old friend of mine and as such he is privy to just entering when it pleases him." The secretary toddled of, disdain clearly visible in her every step. Didn't that rude man see how busy her boss was?

Ando had to give it to him, Takeshi cut a striking figure behind his huge desk. The office was cluttered and filled with various charts, folders, posters of buildings and rulers and pencils were all over the place, but Takeshi seemed to be remarkably in control, reigning over this creative chaos in a way that commanded respect. He now got up, re-adjusting the perfect Windsor knot of his grey tie. The two men stood in front of each other indecisively. They hadn't quite figured out how to welcome each other yet. With regards to all that they had been through together, a simple handshake was not sufficient, but an embrace stroke them as odd. A military greeting was out of the question. Takeshi made an inviting hand gesture towards his visitor's chair, thus smoothing over any lingering awkwardness and seated himself behind the heavy wooden desk again.

"What brings you here?"

Not following the invitation to take a seat, Ando strolled over the posters, eyeing them closely. Some of these buildings he had already seen on his reconnaissance missions through the city.

"Did you design these?"

"Yes."

"Look impressive. But I wouldn't have expected anything else from you." Inclining his head, Takeshi accepted the compliment.

Walking back to the chair, but not sitting down but leaning on its back instead, Ando continued conversationally: "Have you seen in contact the senshi recently? It's been two weeks since we pledged our vows to End-..Mamoru, and I haven't heard from anyone since then."

A careful, non-committal mask had slipped over Takeshi's face, one that very annoyingly gave nothing away.

"I have met Hiromasa at Makoto's café yesterday for a brief lunch."

"So Jupiter is the only one you've-"

"Ando, careful. It's Makoto, not Jupiter."

"Very much the same to me, but fine, Makoto then. So she's the only one? No word from the others?"

A frown slid over the architect's face. He remembered the unlikely friendship Venus and Jadeite had formed in the Silver Millennium, one that he never liked or approved of. A friendship like this had been even more dangerous than their relationship, and the mere idea that Jadeite had been able to read his own darkest secrets in Venus' trusting mind had send him over the edge all those years ago, resulting in what was almost the end of their romance.

"Let us hope that you are enquiring after Rei. No, I haven't seen her lately, and I do not intend to do so."

The abrupt tone signalled that it was high time to change the topic, but Ando's temper had not mellowed over the last weeks and his frustration was still easily visible in his eyes. Also, he had heard the little world 'lately' very clearly and this was a piece of information his friend most certainly hadn't intended to give away. Deciding that the best course of action was to goad him a little and hope that he would slip again, he went on.

"And what about Minako? You know that it was her and Ami that searched for Umino and me, right? We had a very enjoyable afternoon walking through Tokyo upon meeting again. She is still a lovely girl. We've spent hours catching up, talking to her has always been a pleasure."

The older man's voice had taken on a slight edge. Although his features remained stoic, Ando immediately sensed he had hit a nerve.

"So you talked. How...agreeable."

Looking at the man in front of him with a sudden feeling of cold disregard and hot jealousy, he decided not to join Ando in his silly games today. The silent nights weighed heavy on his heart, and so far all he and Minako had managed to speak about had been his cooking, arranging whether they would meet at his or her flat and words of lust moaned in the heat of the moment. The thought of his Venus chatting freely to another man, while they stumbled around without words, set a slow rage free that waited to be allowed to finally crawl to the surface and launch itself on its source, ripping and tearing. Didn't she remember the damage that the silver tongue of his fellow shitennou had unintentionally done to them before?

Ando had left the office soon after the conversation had turned sour, angry at himself for not being able to weasel the information he wanted out of Takeshi. That man was made out of granite and apparently it took a lot more than a few choice words to get to him share the knowledge Ando was certain he had. When on earth had he met Rei?

***

Minako lazily lounged in her steaming bath tub, allowing her sore muscles to rest. Running and the nights with Takeshi were taking a toll on her body, but both helped to ease her mind. He had stopped to leave before dawn, and had even stocked some clothing in her wardrobe so that he could go from her place to his office directly, but this small sign of normalcy didn't quite cover what was wrong between them. The only way I can tell that he is working in an office and not in a greenhouse is from the expensive suits he is wearing, because God forbid he should share this information directly. So every morning after he had left for work, she went on her daily run. Usagi had joined her the first week, but the poor girl was almost killing herself over this unaccustomed activity, so Minako had told her not to come any more. Her friends prying eyes hadn't helped either, for the senshi of love was very intent on keeping her relationship to Takeshi a secret until she figured out whether or not they actually had one. Makoto knew, and that was enough.

The radio was playing a gut-wrenchingly sad song about forgiveness and love and Minako wished for what must be the thirtiest time that she had a remote for that damned thing.

'And this was Forgiven, by Within Temptation. And now on to the weather forecast: There will be rain, rain and, guess what, rain in Tokyo. Better leave your high heels at home, girls and don your Wellington boots, because we are about to drown.'

_Does that DJ even realise how silly he sounds? Wellington boots. We're not in England, are we now?,_ Minako grumbled before submerging her head in the hot water, efficiently drowning out the noisy world outside her tub. When she got up, the DJ had moved on to an up-tempo number, one that had nothing to do with forgiveness and everything to do with drinking and dancing. Thank God.

Her phone began to beep, alerting her to the text message she had just received. Gripping it with wet fingers, she flipped its purple cover open.

_'How about coffee in the Museum of Modern Art? Meeting you there in an hour. Ando.'_

She put the phone back on the small stool next her tub, which was occupied by several magazines and a cup of cocoa. The weather was most certainly not one to invite her to set one foot (Wellington clad or not) out of her door, and she was quite content to just lounge in her tub for the next hour or two, but Ando's heart-broken expression over Rei's refusal to see her caused the dripping girl to leave her comfortable abode and ignore the screams of her strained muscles.

When she arrived at the museum, she was only moderately late (_fifteen minutes is nothing, and I am here in this abysmal weather, which deserves gratitude as it is_) and completely soaked. The thing about umbrellas is that they cannot shelter you from the rain when it hits you from every side, she mused and began to look for a head covered in blond locks. She found him standing in front of the entrance, just as wet as she was. Laughing, they entered the building and headed straight for the small café the museum ran in order to make some extra money. The beverages and cakes were ridiculously expensive, but seeing how the Sailor V enterprise was still going strong, Minako never needed to worry about money.

The pouring rain had left the place with nearly no customers, so they could chose freely between several armchairs and couches, finally settling for those closest to the windows. The heavy clouds had darkened the sky, but several lit candles turned this from an ominous into a cosy atmosphere. After placing their orders, they began to slide into conversation again, and the easiness of it briefly left her pained. But she shrugged the feeling off, not wanting this afternoon to be ruined by her morose thoughts. After all, she was lucky. Takeshi and her were at least seeing each other, while Rei had not only refused to meet Ando, but also explicitly forbid anyone to so much as mention him in her presence.

One thing the shitennou had always valued about his friendship to the Venusian princess was that they never needed to skirt around uncomfortable truths. So he knew that unlike Takeshi, she would either answer his question or tell him directly why she wouldn't.

"Have you spoken to her? About me, I mean."

Long blonde hair swished as she shook her head. "It's not that I haven't tried, but every time I mention you, she tells me to leave. I am sure that she will come around eventually, I just don't know when that's going to be."

Ando cocked his head to the side, wondering how amoral it would be to tell her that he was certain that Mars and Takeshi had met some time prior to today. It wasn't as if Minako didn't deserve to know. And she was very curious. And she might be able to elicit the information the silver-haired general was keeping from him. But she was his friend, and he didn't want to hurt her by mentioning Takeshi. _Because let's face it, I don't even know whether that idiot has acknowledged his feelings for her yet. It took him ages in the Silver Millennium, so who knows how long it'll take him here to wake up and face the music._

_But everything is fair in love and war. _Grudgingly, he thought that this proverb couldn't be closer to the truth when it came to him and the senshi of fire.

"I think Takeshi and her talked. Don't know how much, but he let something slip when I visited him in his office today."

Minako carefully licked the cream from her spoon, taking the moment to will herself not to run through the rain and demand answers from her elusive friend. Both of them, actually. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but what she felt was something between intense disappointment and roaring anger. _You just wait, my dear. I brought Ando to your very door as soon as I encountered him and you met Takeshi and didn't tell me?_

A minute passed. When she faced the waiting man again, her face was cool, calm, collected. Very much like Takeshi's earlier, Ando realised with annoyance. "Hmm. I wasn't aware of that. He hasn't mentioned it and neither has she." Ando made a mental note that Takeshi and Minako were indeed having some sort of contact to another, and immediately wondered how they got along, but something in her eyes kept him from asking. Egoistically, there were more pressing matters on his mind. His face was serious as he fixed her with an intent expression.

"Will you try to find out what he knows?"

"I sure will."

***

"So you are an architect?"

Her voice still sounded foreign in his apartment, but it was a welcome addition to the bleak environment he had created for himself. He turned to face her, sitting on the large dining table made of glass, leaving countless fingerprints on the surface. Her delicate fingers plucked a grape from its stem.

"I am." He downed the contents of his glass and put it into the sink, the ghost of a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth.

"How do you know that?"

Her eyes had taken on a mischievous, yet hard gleam, one that told him that they had suddenly stepped on dangerous grounds. She popped the purple grape into her mouth and smiled, but the playful action was a deceiving one and he knew it.

"The same way you knew where to come looking for Hiromasa, I suppose."

Recognizing a trap when he saw one, he fell into the sort of stoic silence most people associated with him. Mars would have never told her about their nightly meeting, so Minako was obviously fishing blindly for something that wasn't his place to share. That she was fishing in precisely the right pond was another matter entirely.

He did however have an inkling as to what might have prompted her to step on this path of inquiry, and the thought was not a pleasant one.

"Seeing how you got your information from Ando, and I didn't, it is obviously not the same way." His voice was cold, freezingly so, but she could detect the anger in his eyes. It wasn't the first time she saw it, after all.

_The door banged open, and the frame was filled completely by a seething Kunzite. Anger emanated out of his every pore, tainting the peaceful atmosphere of the room. He slammed the door shut, causing her to slowly get up from the chaise longue she had been resting on._

_Striding, his eyes bored into hers, and fear tugged at the corner of her heart. But she was a senshi, therefore giving in to being frightened was not an option. The air in the room had suddenly become stifling, such was his presence. Towering over her and for once playing the card of his considerable height, he spoke. Low and quiet. Commanding and intimidating._

"_Did you tell Jadeite about us?"_

_Lifting her chin in defiance, she tried to cloak herself in the power of her planet, but wondered briefly if the fact that she felt she needed to do that didn't make her look like less than she was._

"_Yes, I did."_

_He moved quickly, stepping away from her before he lost it. His calloused hands were balled into fists and the warrior in her noted gladly that he didn't carry his sword. For the first time in the two years they had known each other, she heard him shout. It was terrifying. "What on earth did you that for?It is forbidden, Aphrodite! WE are forbidden! And to tell Jadeite, him of all people, don't you foolish girl know what you've done?", he roared. The room shook with the weight of his words, but she refused to back down. Her voice was silken, but her eyes were hard._

"_I told him because he is my friend. I told him because I need to talk about it. I told him in the hope that you would use this opportunity to do some talking yourself, so that you have a confidante around you instead of followers only."_

_How dare she presume to know what he needed? It was a mistake, it all was. This affair had gone too far and they had given in to the delusion that they could be together just like their lieges. She was poison, destroying his reputation and lacerating his concentration and he wouldn't let her beauty distract him from that any longer. Jadeite's merciless teasing had made him see that._

_He had lowered his voice again, but as he spoke, she wished he would only shout again._

"_If you had more followers instead of friends, you might be a better leader and know what your princess is up to in the dead of the night." With that, he turned, slamming the door as went._

_Brushing past a waiting Zoisite, he wished to never have set foot on this cursed planet._

_She stood in the middle of the room, white-faced, angry, and utterly alone._

He moved out of the kitchen and into the living-room. Calmly turning on some music, he opened the doors to his balcony and stepped outside, effectively shutting her out. Without a second though, she grabbed her purse and left. He flinched at the sound of the slamming door. The minefield had finally been stepped upon.


	29. Chapter 29

Title: Struck like lightning

A/N: This line (It is with our passions as it is with fire and water: they are good servants but bad masters.) is not mine at all, it's Aesop.

She raced out of his building, wildly looking around for a cab. She stepped on the streets and hailed the first one she saw, causing it to come to a hold with screeching brakes. Almost bursting with feeling, she needed to vent, she needed to blame, she needed to explode. Minutes later, she tossed the driver some notes, jumped out of the car and bounded up the familiar steps to the shrine, which lay deserted in moonlight and rain.

She found the priestress kneeling in front of the holy fire, hands folded in silent prayer and tangible concentration. Her own voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"Rei!"

The girl closed her eyes briefly, knowing what was to come. It had nothing to do with premonition and everything to do with common sense. Takeshi had broken his silent promise and told her about their meetings. Once a traitor, always a traitor. It didn't come as a surprise.

"Rei, I am talking to you! So get up and turn around, for crying out loud!"

Sighing, the priestress got up, smoothing wrinkles out of her traditional clothing as she went. Minako stood in the middle of the room, the door open and shivering from the storm behind her. Wind and rain entered the shrine, tugging at their hair and at their clothes. Her friend's face was set in a fierce expression, one that spoke volumes about the emotions cursing through her blood. Already, Kunzite's influence was running strong, tainting the senshis' friendship and Minako's peace of mind with the desperation he kept locked up in his flat.

"This is a place of harmony, Minako. It is holy. Do not sully it with your anger."

The quiet reprimanding of her friend only fuelled the blonde's agitation as she stalked out of the building, dimly aware of the other's footsteps behind here. They walked out in the rain, bringing a safe distance between them and the fire that knew more than many humans ever would. The drops hitting the ground formed an intoxicating rhythm, one that drummed loudly in their ears and invited them to give into the rage.

"You knew! You knew that Takeshi was back, you knew before I did. And you kept it a secret from me! When did you meet?" She hurled her words at her solemn woman, her voice full of betrayal and accusation. It was so good to have a responding outlet for all that silence, all that pent up emotion that reigned the nights in his arms.

"He may call himself Takeshi now, but he is still Kunzite through and through. His penthouse reeks of coldness, it is dripping from him like the rain is dripping from your fingertips right now. I knew that you would welcome with open arms, because you cannot act any differently, so I did what I had to do to protect you from this man." Her voice carried easily through the distance between them and it didn't matter how softly the words had been uttered. At this place, every syllable Rei pronounced would be heard if she wanted to. It was her ground, her home and she was thankful that the confrontation could happen on her terms, for she needed every advantage she could get in the face of an irate Venus. Even in the Silver Millennium, their arguments had been legendary, prompting people to scuttle out of their ways as they strode from one place to the next, spitting out disagreements and pure emotions. It was the price they paid for the closeness they shared.

Meanwhile, all the colour had drained from Minako's face, leaving her to look more doll-like than ever. Her eyes were swallowed by a blue so much darker than the one that normally resided behind the porcelain skin of her lids.

"You have been in his flat?"

Thunder struck next to the old oak under which Minako had shared the knowledge of Ando's return. The ground crackled with electricity, sending a shiver up their spines.

"Rei, when did you meet?"

Rei didn't move, but when she spoke her voice was devoid of any guilt, for she didn't feel any. Her actions had been justified.

"The fire told me about his return on New Year's Day. I went to him a couple of days later. I did so again when Nephrite returned, because I felt that he deserved to know. But seeing how he abused my trust by telling you about it, he didn't deserve it after all."

Seldom had Minako looked at her like that.

"So a man for whom you feel nothing but contempt deserves to know that a loved one of his has returned and I don't?"

No words came to the Martian's mind. It was checkmate for once.

"I brought Ando to you the minute I found him with his memories intact!" The soaking blonde shouted, her wet hair clinging to her shivering frame like tendrils.

"But you must have known before. You wanted to protect me from pain, just as I wanted to do for you. So how can you possibly be angry with me now, Minako?" Her reasoning fell on deaf ears, and her soul went out to the broken girl in front of her. Damn Kunzite.

Minako's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I found out the day before. I set out to seek him the very next morning and in the afternoon, I brought him here because I know how you used to feel for him. Ask Ami, if you don't believe me. So do not imply that you and I acted the same way, because we didn't. You treated me like a child, assuming that I wouldn't be able to control myself anyway."

"Were you?"

The acid inquiry, whose venom was prompted by as much as alluding to the love Mars used to feel for Jadeite, caused Minako to look up. Her soulful eyes told the priestress everything she needed to know. They spoke of longing, of love, of pain and of hope. Not only had she met him again, but she had fallen for him in what Rei supposed was the first second Minako had laid eyes on him.

"Rei, let me make myself very clear. Whatever transpires between me and Takeshi is our business, and our business only. Your concern may be justified, it may not, but you keeping this from me makes you a bad friend. A very bad one. Do not presume to know what is in my best interest, and next time something like that comes up, I would be grateful if you could overcome your own hatred for Ando and make sure that it doesn't affect your actions when it comes to me!"

Not a second passed before Rei retaliated spitefully. "It is with our passions as it is with fire and water: they are good servants but bad masters. If you entangle yourself from his bed long enough to look into his eyes and see what lies behind them, you might understand what that means. Contrary to you, my decision was not based on the flimsy illusion of what you insist on calling love."

Years later, Minako would still wonder at how she managed to keep herself from slapping her friend then and there. She had simply brushed past her, trying to bring as much distance between them as possible before vile words could destroy a friendship that the world needed to last forever.

As her feet moved over the muddy ground, she called over her shoulder, her voice once again level.

"Takeshi didn't say a word about your meetings, at least not to me. It was Ando that gave me the clue, because he is so desperate to hear from you that he is risking to taint the friendship to his leader if it only gets you to at least acknowledge his existence again, even if it is in anger only. I would think about this if I were you."

The oak was set on fire with one swift movement of her thin wrist, and not even the rain could distinguish the flames that licked and clawed and tore at it for the next hours, when it was the senshi of fire that had doomed it die on this sacred ground.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: Can't stop this thing we've started**

*****  
**

"So please help with this, I am confused. You are not talking to Rei because she didn't want to come to the pledging ceremony due to my alleged evilness?"

Makoto nodded with furrowed brows, while sorting through her cookbooks.

"And Minako is not talking to Rei because she knew about Takeshi and didn't tell her?"

Another nod, but the brunette's face was carefully devoid of judgement.

"And Rei tried not talking to Ami because she's been in cahoots with Minako about searching for Ando, but that didn't work because it is physically impossible to remain angry with Ami?"

The nod now came in the company of a smile, and one stack of books was pushed to the side.

"Rei is not talking to any of us shitennou because she is convinced that we are going to do something terrible to you all?"

Makoto's pink lips became a thin line as she again moved her head in that assertive motion.

"Takeshi and Minako are not talking because she and Ando are friends?"

The fifth nod was followed by a derogatory snort, one that made sure that Hiromasa knew exactly where his girlfriend stood on this matter.

"And Ando and Takeshi are not talking because Takeshi blames Ando for not being able to talk to Minako?"

A final nod.

"Oh boy, what a mess."

Makoto and Hiromasa stood in her flat and were filling one box after another with all of her cherished belongings. She carefully wrapped a delicate vase in an old newspaper, praying that it would survive the transport without breaking. It had belonged to her mother, and she held it dear. They had decided to move in with each other about three weeks after meeting again, and signed the lease on their flat a few days ago.

"You're right, it is a mess. At least Umino and Ami are getting along. By the way, they offered their help for the move. I wanted to check with you before accepting, but I think it is a very nice idea and I'd love to have someone help us."

Looking at the countless boxes in the room, Hiromasa grinned. "Please, tell them to come as soon as they can. But I wonder if Umino has realised that lifting boxes as heavy as yours might cause him to sweat."

His snicker was punished by a painful swat of hers. "Oh shush, it's not nice that you always tease him about his vanity. I seriously don't think it's that bad."

Hiro raised a brow in response. "He studies philosophy, Makoto, philosophy! He sits around with fake glasses and reads Descartes!"

Makoto snickered and wrapped the vase in yet another layer of paper.

***

Usagi had been delirious to see one of her friends this happy, and had offered to paint the walls of their new place while the two of them packed up Makoto's things.

Naturally, Usagi had no intention of doing this alone and had immediately asked Minako to come and join her, which the other girl promptly did. It was only a little over seven weeks ago that she had hidden herself from the world in her flat and soaked up the treacherous peace the silence afforded her, but things were different now. Even a minute spend without company drove her up the walls and she had almost considered to ask Artemis to move in with her for a few days. The guardian from Mau was something of a father figure to her, albeit annoying her to death half of the time they spend together. Either way, he was family and his company would do her some good, but Luna wouldn't like that, so she came home to an empty flat every night. It was now devoid of the man whose solemn presence had filled it so well and the difference almost made her cave and seek him out. Valentine's Day had passed without so much as a note, but she pretended to be fine and dived into the challenges her neglected studies provided her with.

Ando and her met almost every other day, both feeling treated unfairly by those who should know better. They had long conversations about how much he disliked the city and her worries as to what to do once she earned her degree, but whatever thoughts were expressed, none were acted upon. He stayed in Tokyo, and she didn't look for intern-ships or job offers. They floundered, and both were waiting to be found.

***

"Hmm, this doesn't look right, does it, Usa?"

Usagi fumbled with the paper hat she put on top of her odangos, smudging it and her hair with the pale green colour. The upper part of the wall was considerably darker than the lower one.

"I don't get it, we did use the same colour and yet it looks so wrong."

The deep amused sound of Mamoru's voice interrupted their musings, as he entered baring some highly anticipated pizza for the busy bees. "You've applied different amounts of paint. Just add another layer to the bottom part and you should be fine."

Winking, he added: "And if it doesn't work, we'll just put their wardrobe in front of this wall."

The three of them sat down on the floor, and the girls hastily began to devour the hot pizza. The clever man had brought more than enough, so there was no battle between the girls as to who would get the last piece. Munching, Minako looked out of the window, seeing the empty crowns of the trees shaking in the wind. "This place is so pretty. How on earth did they manage to find it and so quickly at that? House hunting in Tokyo is a nightmare."

Usagi immediately shoved another bite into her mouth, successfully preventing herself from having to answer the question. Mamoru had no such luck and accepting the ungrateful task, spoke up hesitantly.

"This is one of the buildings Takeshi designed. He asked around a bit, and found out that there was a free flat here and secured it for them. It's a small thank you to Makoto for welcoming him without any reservations and introducing him to Hiromasa, I suppose."

Minako just got up, gripped the paintbrush again and started resolutely on the upper part of the wall. Neither Usagi nor Mamoru alerted her to her mistake.

***

A loud knock on her front door sounded through the almost empty place. Umino's and Ami's helping hands had been a wonderful addition to their task, so most of her stuff was already in the moving van downstairs. The girls and Mamoru had finished painting yesterday and even volunteered to build up some of their furniture, including their extremely heavy wardrobe.

Today would be the day of the big move; she was ecstatic, and he no less so.

Her face fell when she noticed who had entered the room, and she felt Hiromasa stiffen beside her.

"Hello Rei", she managed to get out, sincerely hoping that her friend had come with good intentions, with congratulations on their new home or best wishes for their future as a couple.

The raven-haired girl inclined her head in greeting, but there was something about her stance that made Makoto realize that she was still angry with the world and not quite ready to make nice.

"Nephrite, I need to speak to Jadeite. Can you tell me where to find him?"

***

She followed the tall man's directions and indeed found him in second place of the small list Nephrite had readily made for her in an attempt to placate the most difficult of the senshi. The café of the Museum of Modern Art was brimming, and he sat perched on a comfortable armchair in the middle of the noise, a laptop computer balanced carefully on his knees while he was writing something on a small notepad in his hand. The table in front of him was filled with sticky notes, an empty plate and a cup of what she supposed was coffee.

He didn't notice her coming, so concentrated was he on the article he was writing. Her movements were almost noiseless and she approached him like a panther would its prey. Seeing his curly bend head tore at her, feelings demanded to be recognized, but she was a woman on a mission, one in which there was no place for whatever those feelings were. Only when she had positioned herself directly in front of him, did she speak, but her voice sounded more like an angry hiss.

"How dare you use Minako to get to me? I shouldn't expect anything else from you, but this was despicable."

He finished the sentence he was jotting down before facing her, clinging to the familiarity of writing like a lifeline. She did give him a grudging credit for not jumping at the sudden noise, but that was it. His heart threatened to burst through his skin, but controlling himself had been the first lesson Kunzite had taught him, and he was glad to have this knowledge to fall back on. Of course, there was still a lot that could be read from his face, but he was able to restrict the urge to kiss her then and there in a doomed attempt to make her forget his treason. He was sure Takeshi would be proud, if he could get over that teeny-tiny Minako thing.

"She wasn't used at all, I wouldn't do that to her. Minako was very much aware of what my intentions were and acted on her own accord. And you have to agree that keeping this from her was quite cruel."

"Cruel? You dare to call me cruel? You of all people? She would have never verbally attacked me like this on her own accord!" The people at the neighbouring tables had started to take notice of the doubtlessly interesting events and began to listen in.

He placed the computer on the table, but kept the notepad in his hand.

A long forgotten mischievous gleam took up residence in his blue eyes, and they sparkled with opportunity.

"Really? Then you and I must have very different memories of the Silver Millennium. I wonder whose are right."

Her response was a hard slap across his handsome face and he stared after her for a long time after she had stormed away, holding his fingers to his stinging cheek, grinning from ear to ear. She would come back for more and slowly, he would assuage her hatred and mould it into a feeling no less strong, but more benevolent in its nature. It had worked once before, after all.

***

Hanging up clothes in their newly erected wardrobe, a grinning Hiromasa addressed the girl next to him.

"So you and Rei are talking again, because even though she didn't apologize, she was polite."

"Yes. An apology from Rei is unheard of, she doesn't to them. So her asking for help and not getting upset over the idea of us moving in together is actually quite good."

"I see. And she did talk to me. Three whole sentences, quite good, huh?"

Makoto chuckled and placed a kiss on his lips, before taking the shirt he was folding out of his hand and putting it on a hanger instead.

"Excellent."

"And then she talked to, well shouted at is probably more appropriate, Ando, which means that some sort of dangerous contact has been established."

"Someone should tell him not to taunt her too much, or she will probably set him on fire then and there." No it was his turn to laugh, and he picked up a large sun hat adorned with flowers and put it on top of his unruly hair.

"Do you seriously wear that?", he askes before dissolving into laughter.

***

After a day spend in the presence of her friends, her flat seemed lonelier than ever. She turned the TV on as soon as she entered in an attempt to fill it with voices and sounds to smooth over the eerie silence. With him, silence wasn't eerie, it was something to be filled with touch instead.

Standing in front of her empty fridge, she realized how hungry she was. But all her pantry provided was a pack of cornflakes, and she didn't have any milk. Checking her watch, she cursed.

The shops were already closed and she was so accustomed to Makoto's or Takeshi's cooking that most fast food didn't meet her taste any more. She could always ring Mamoru and ask him where he got that excellent pizza, but he and Usa were still very much acting like newly-weds and she didn't want to interrupt whatever they were doing after having had to restrain themselves all day long because of the company they had been in. She could go to a restaurant, but the prospect of sitting alone at a table for two was not an inviting one. Ando had an article to finish, so he wasn't available to keep her entertained either. Ami had reluctantly accepted a dinner invitation from Umino earlier, it was their first proper date and the shy girl had been so nervous that she almost went in the clothes she had worn during the move.

***

Once again, Ando sauntered right into Takeshi's office, but the plump secretary had long since gone home to her cat and to her knitting, so nobody stood in his way this time.

"It is a bit late to be working, when you have a beautiful girl waiting for, you know."

The pencil Takeshi was holding snapped.

***

"Your pulling my leg!", exclaimed an on the counter leaning Usagi the next day. Ami had stopped to look at the cakes on display and focused her attention on Makoto.

"No, I swear it's true. Ando came in this morning, all smiles, despite the huge black eye he was sporting. When Hiro quizzed him about it, he just grinned and said that he and Takeshi had resolved their differences."

Ami put a finger to her lips and tapped it against them, before asking with a perfectly serious face: "Do you think we should ask Umino to take a picture for Rei?"

The three girls exchanged one look and promptly burst into giggles.

***

Leaning on the wall that hid the Tsukino house from view, Minako waited for Artemis to arrive.

"Shouldn't you be in a lecture?", the familiar voice sounded next to her ear.

Grinning, the girl turned around and winked at the cat perched high up on the wall. "Shouldn't you have fathered a couple of cute kittens by now?" If a cat would be able to frown, Artemis would have done so.

They walked to the park in companionable silence and only when there were hidden from view behind some trees, did they begin to speak again. Artemis was the first to do so.

"What do you make of the shitennous' return? Thank you for telling me by the way, it was so good that I knew all about it before I ran into Nephrite in Makoto's shop and shouted that an enemy was eating her cake."

The blonde chuckled. "I assumed that you heard it from Luna, who I thought would have been notified by Usagi."

Pouting, her guardian responded. "Well, you thought wrong. And don't think that I haven't noticed you not answering my question."

Eyeing her mud crusted shoes with more attention than they deserved, she mumbled something among the lines of "...no opinion, really...great for Mako and Ami,...bit difficult though...arguing...", but what it was precisely she was saying Artemis couldn't make out, for her scarf swallowed most of her words.

It was enough to make his fur stand on end.

"Minako, I cannot believe I of all people am actually saying this, but you should try to resolve whatever is standing between you and Kunzite. This has gone on for _**centuries**_and I simply cannot stand to hear more of this he-is-treating-me-like-a-child and we-are-arguing-all-the-time nonsense that we both know you were going to bring up once you were sure that I wasn't going to interfere."

Artemis was pounding his tail on the floor in a gesture of desperation. He imitated her voice while speaking, and the effect was quite remarkable. "Ohhhh Artemis, I am the senshi of love and yet all we ever do is argue. Why oh why don't things work out for us? He is soooo jealous."

Dumbfounded, the senshi looked at the irate white cat in front of her, before bursting into laughter a second later.

Looking up to the heavens, Artemis grumbled.

"If I had known that my only reward for helping this girl would be her silly laughter and complete and utter ignorance of everything I say, I would have at least fought harder to be allowed to use my human form whenever it pleases me."

***

When she got home that night, her fridge was still empty, the rooms were still silent and the sheets still carried his smell. Thinking of Makoto and Hiromasa in their new flat, Usagi and Mamoru in their marriage and Ami and Umino in their lively conversations, her heart constricted painfully in her chest. Throwing her pride in the wind, she left.

It took her almost forty minutes to reach his building. The concierge waved at her, as he had already wondered where the pretty girl had been over the past two weeks.

Standing in the lift, she nervously tapped her feet on the floor, leaving muddy prints on the pristine carpeting. When it finally arrived on the top floor, she escaped with one big step and stood in the hall for a minute. What if he didn't want to see her? Gathering her courage around her like a cloak, she closed the distance to his door and knocked. She could hear the sound of Schubert through the walls, and gulped. After a waiting for a bit, she concluded that either he hadn't heard her knock or decided not to act on it. She lifted her fist again, bringing it down heavily on the white-painted wood.

Their argument had been bad, granted, and that they hadn't been in contact with each other for almost fifteen days didn't make things any easier, but just shutting her out like this was not an option! She began to bang on his door in earnest now, trying to fight the tears that were forming in her eyes at the same time. She had been fine before, living alone hadn't bothered her then. But he was able to give her something that her friends couldn't. Her world had been rearranged and just when she had accepted this, he chose not to respond to her attempt to make an apolo-

The door was ripped open before she could finish her thought.

Looking into a pair of stormy green eyes, she stood her ground, hoping that the rug wouldn't be pulled from under feet yet again.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: Three Things Minako didn't say to Takeshi and one thing she did**

Three

"I know, I know that I am going completely Sex and the City on you; the series, not the movie, mind, but I just wanted to ask you to forgive me. I need you to forgive me. And while you are by far more of a Mr. Big than an Aidan, because let's face it, the only Aidan around is Hiromasa - you're just not that nice- I know I screwed up and I am sorry, I am. I didn't think, I just hated us not talking and the thought of you talking to someone else and not me first is just...it hurt me, it hurt me so much. And then you shutting me out didn't make things any better, did it? You don't need to be jealous of the friendship Ando and I share, because you and I have so much more, don't we? I've been waiting for you for such a long time, I've never been in a relationship with someone even remotely my equal, because there's just you. Only you. And I suppose what I am trying to say is, please don't stand in the door frame, let me in, please let us talk. Please."

Her swirling stream of words died away, but her eyes were still imploring him.

Blinking, Takeshi moved his tall body out of the door, allowing her to enter.

Two

Looking into his green eyes, she felt the familiar ambition to prove herself. His respect was just as important to her as his love and a man like him never respected the cowering.

"I came to let you know that I am not going to stop being friends with Ando. If you don't want to talk to me, share your life with me, then I am not going to sit around and wait for you to change your mind. Make a decision, and make it now, Takeshi. Either you're in, or you're out. Which one is it?"

The muscles in his face shifted, until all she saw was a mask of inflexible iron.

"No one forces me into action any more, Minako. Not even you."

The door was shut right in her face and the sweet sound of Schubert was muted again.

One

His stormy green eyes held her captive. The emotion in them was palpable, it was rough and intense and of the kind that demanded to be satisfied immediately. Yet, she was used to danger, used to suspense, so she seamlessly broke free of his mesmerizing spell and brushed past him without an invitation uttered.

Strolling right into his living-room, she carelessly dropped her jacket to the pristine marble floor. The bow that held her hair together followed suit, gracefully dwindling to the ground and with one challenging glance over her shoulder, he stormed towards her. Lifting her up and gathering her slender form in his strong arms, he carried her over to the dinner table, shoving the papers that rested on its smooth surface aside and in one fluid motion, placed her on the glass that still held all of her fingerprints.

Her nails scratched his soft skin as she greedily pulled at his shirt. Sensing her impatience and his own that matched it, he tore it from his toned body, sending the small white buttons tumbling to the floor. Her own shirt fell down next to them, as he deftly removed it from her waiting body.

Pushing her back on the table, his calloused hands travelled over her curves, eliciting moans, inviting further caressing contact. The table's glass was cool to her touch. She still remembered a time when his skin had been hidden behind gloves and a uniform that she had yearned to rip off in shreds while waiting for hours for some ceremony or other to end. But there was no uniform standing between them today, and the ceremonies of this night were those of their own making.

Lifting up one of her long long legs, he began to remove her trousers and her panties with it. The image of the golden woman in front of him destroyed every possibility of remaining in control, and for once, he allowed himself the luxury of letting go completely. Throwing caution in the wind, he pulled her closer to the edge of the table, deftly rid himself of his remaining clothing and drove into as quickly as the rain drops outside sped to floor.

"Harder", she moaned and he -always the perfect gentleman- complied.

She arched into him, delighted at being trapped between glass and granite and wondered why it had taken her so long to return.

Reality

"May I please come in?"

Minutes passed before he gently took her hand and pulled her inside.

His hand was warm to her touch, and the feeling of his skin against hers allowed her to breathe again. He led her outside, on the balcony that was showered by cold rain, but none of them felt it.

Their silence had suddenly turned from a looming one to a companionable one, and for once, none of them missed the words that had been so hard to come by. They were content.

Hours passed before she gently took his hand and pulled him inside.

Both of them were chilled to the bones, soaked to the skin, but quietly happy at being close to another again. He wondered where she was pulling him, and - in light of their previous encounters - found himself surprised that it was his bathroom. Her numbs figures fiddled with his buttons as she tried to remove the white shirt he was wearing. Smiling, he helped her.

The hot water of the shower threatened to burn their skin, but they let it pour on their heads until all of the coldness was gone.

They spent the rest of the night in the darkness of his bedroom, clothed in neatly pressed pyjamas, whispering to each other as they finally got used to the sounds of their voices.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: Still so mad, so bad, and oh so deliciously dangerous to know**

A/N: Title comes from Lady Catherine Lamb's infamous quote about Lord Byron, varied by Liz Lochhead in one of her poems.

*****  
**

"By the way: thank you so much for your help during our move- it is greatly appreciated."

"Oh come on, Hiromasa, I was busy. I have to work, earn a living, assemble some money so that I will be able to provide for a wifey and a bunch of merry, red-cheeked kids one day. "

The taller man just grinned, and rummaged in his fridge for two more bottles of beer. Makoto hadn't been best pleased that part of her beloved, brand new fridge had been taken over by large amounts of assorted bottles filled with nothing but alcohol, but it was a guys' night and that just demanded lots of beer. Sighing, she had given in and even made them a batch of deliciously smelling brownies, which weren't necessarily manly, but too good not to appreciate.

Ando and Hiromasa returned to the living-room, each grabbing a slim white controller.

"In order to turn Rei into a wifey, you might need the silver crystal and fairy to go along with it. Because she isn't even talking to you yet, is she?"

Ando shrugged, seemingly unbothered by the lack of progress his relationship to the priestress was making and instead focused his attention on the game. Teeing off, he watched the golf ball shoot in the sky, landing near the white flag on the green. His handsome mouth split into a smile, one that got even wider when Hiromasa's ball landed somewhere in the rough.

"She'll come round, trust me."

***

Early the next morning, a visibly hungover Ando sat perched on the top step of the staircase that led to the shrine. If he had turned his head for even an inch, the impressive building would have been in clear sight. The place was as of yet empty, which might have to do with the fact that the sun was still playing hide and seek with the moon on the horizon, neither really there nor really gone.

Unfolding one of many newspapers he had bought, the shitennou began to read. His scathing book review had made it on the top spot of the feature pages, which he noted with satisfaction. Every time he wrote a nice review that complimented an author, it was crammed between some boring interview with an airhead actress and a comment on next season's fashions. But as soon he was snarky, tada! Front page.

Behind him, a door slid open and two ravens soared up in the sky.

Followed by a girl, who upon seeing him, froze for the a moment so brief that it was over quicker than a blink of an eye and then strode towards him in angry, meaningful steps. She didn't pause to consider that even from the distance, she had recognised him immediately.

"What are you doing here?", she called out to him, her voice laden with surprise and resentment.

Not lifting his eyes from the paper, he calmly answered.

"Well, I need some peace and quiet to read my paper, and in case you haven't heard, which would make sense given how shy and polite your friend Ami is, Umino snores exceptionally loudly. It's very disruptive, you see."

Momentarily stunned into silence by his audacity, Rei glared daggers at the back of Ando's still unturned head, before she decided to just leave the man without the attention for which he had undoubtedly come. Turning on the spot, she marched back into the shrine, slamming the thin door shut with as much force as she could muster.

***

Three hours later, a hesitant sun had arisen and rewarded the shitennou's perseverance with several beams shining right on his face. Being thus warmed despite the chilly air, his vigour was slowly returning. He had finished three newspapers by now, all of them front to back. They made little rustling sounds in the light breeze, as the wind toyed with their pages.

In the distance, a sweeping and seething Rei noticed that he was seemingly done with his silly papers and hoped that without her company or encouragement, he would just leave. But her memories from the Silver Millennium were too clear to indulge in this impossible hope for long. Jadeite was persistent and nothing in his blatant and unabashed position on the steps contradicted this. He would probably stay here all day just to annoy her. She considered calling Minako, but even if she could get her friend to intervene on her behalf and make him go away, he would probably just return the next day, and the day after that, and for as many days as it would take him to weasel his way back into her heart.

But there was no room in her heart and soul for a man who had all but killed her a millennia ago. She was better than him, he didn't deserve her and so the only reaction he would ever be allowed to read in her eyes was contempt.

Her sweeps got a little bit fiercer, her fingers gripped the broom a little harder and her heart softened just so slightly as the sun kissed his hair, making it look like spun gold. It was the first thing she noticed about him when he came to Mars as an ambassador, those wonderfully different curls. On Mars, the only colour hair anybody had was black. He stood out in court, and all eyes were turned on him. Stopping in her movements, she remembered that this eyes had never left hers, oblivious to all the attention he was receiving as long as her eyes were fixed on him.

Feeling her eyes on his back just as he felt the sun on his face, Ando smiled and plucked the battered book out of his jacket's pockets. It was one of his favourites, and as such sported countless coffee stains, dog's ears and creases. The pages had already turned a greyish yellow, but to him, this was a prerequisite for any good paperback. He hated them when they were pristine and still smelled of print. It was the soft smell of dust that he loved, and this copy of John Irving's 'Garp' had in abundance.

His right hand disappeared in the depths of his pockets yet again, bringing a carefully in aluminium foil wrapped parcel to light. It gleamed in the morning sun, prompting the girl who was curious against her will to inch a wee bit closer, even if she did it surreptitiously so. Ando began to unwrap it most gently, lest his important cargo suffer any damage.

Makoto's brownies were placed on his left knee. He briefly wondered if Hiromasa had noticed that he had nicked the entire batch, but then his friend had been so drunk that he had actually began to serenade his girlfriend upon her return to their home. This had been the moment in which he himself had grabbed the brownies, ditched the Wii's controller and cheerily departed, leaving the two love-birds to themselves. It was a good thing that he used to attend so many wild parties during his college days, nowadays it was still almost impossible to drink him under the table and Hiromasa was -despite his considerable length- most certainly no match for him.

While some people preferred to have something salty as hangover food, Ando had always needed sugar to restore him to his previous form. The fact that he had a huge sweet tooth might have also had something to do with the fact that the brownies had been taken home by him.

Sinking his teeth into the soft chocolaty mass, and hearing her approach actually made this a perfect day, but naturally, he had no intention of telling her about this. It would only drive her away.

She hovered over his shoulder for a while, not quite sure what to do or say. The sunshine on his hair drove her to distraction, and again, a sliver of memory rushed over her.

_Lying in his bed, she watched him sleep. It was almost time to go, but it was impossible to tear herself away from him. She had given him her all, even things she had almost vowed to never give to any man at all and she revelled in their secret, silent pact. They were bound to each other forever, and nothing and no one could ever change this. Sneaking a white hand in his sunkissed hair, she smoothed his golden curls and watched as the sun played with them in the morning light. Still sleeping, he pulled her close to him._

Swatting at the memory like an unwelcome insect, she broke out of her reverie.

"This is not a restaurant, you know? And neither is it a public park! You're blocking the entire staircase!", she finally snapped.

Munching, he answered. "I didn't notice anybody coming up the stairs in the past three hours, so to whom am I blocking the stairway exactly?" Some birds had already returned from their winter sanctuary and now began to lift their chirping voices in a sweet song. Oh, how Rei wished for rain and thunder in this very minute! Grumbling, she snatched the brownie from his hands, broke a piece of and began to eat it herself in an act of pure defiance. It was too good for words. Just like Makoto's...

"And my friend's baked goods aren't for you anyway! They are for nice and decent people only!"

"Well, she did make them for Hiromasa. And according to your logic, this would make him a nice and decent person, which I completely agree with, by the way. Upstanding sort of guy, he is." Ando got up and brushed some imaginary dust from the sleeves of his jacket. Standing in front of her caused butterflies to take up residency in his stomach, and he allowed himself an almost goofy grin. "I wonder, can you really expect Makoto to sell her baked goods to decent people only? She has to make a living, so I don't think she gets to be that selective with her customers. And even if she wanted to do so, how can she possibly guarantee that every single customer in her shop is morally sound?" His green eyes were sparkling with mischief and any other woman would have loved to engage in silly conversation with this smooth talker, but Rei was different. She had always been. It made her such a challenge, and it made her the only woman for whom he had ever truly cared. Not the only one he had ever desired, but the only one he had ever loved.

Bereft of the brownie, he instead lit a cigarette, careful not to blow the smoke into her direction. While goading her was part of his plan, disgusting her was not. But he needed something to occupy his hands with, otherwise he might lose control and tangle them in her long silken tresses.

For the second time today, she found herself without words. His easy impudence was annoying her to death, yet seeing him was pleasant in its own way. Not that she would admit this to either him or herself. The thought was as forbidden as they got, and as such shoved into the back of her mind, where it would hopefully be forgotten.

They stared at each other in silence for what felt like a small eternity, short enough to bemoan its ending, but long enough to spark his hope of reclaiming her one day. Her eyes still held the most exquisite colour, a purple so intense it almost seemed completely black.

Feeling her heart speed up, she crumbled the brownie she was holding, soft brown chunks of it falling out of her clutched fist and onto the ground.

Clearing his throat, he spoke up again in a voice so calm that it belied the frantic rhythm of the red hot blood pounding in his veins. She was a thing of beauty so delicate that she herself deserved a shrine to be worshipped in, but this was a compliment so blasphemous that she would never accept it, especially not from him. Instead, he opted for the safe road, one that would lead him to his goal eventually, but just not today.

"I'll leave you to your work now. Have a nice day."

Breaking the eye contact, he quickly assembled his papers, careful not to burn them with his cigarette. He had caught her by surprise when he announced his sudden and unexpected leave, and he knew that she would think about him longer than she wished because of it. When he made his way down the staircase that he had spent the morning on, his elated steps were those of a happy man.

Behind him, a lonely priestess stared after the man she sworn both to love and to hate, wondering which vow would win in the end.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: Lady of Love**

*****  
**

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon, the first one that held the promise of spring's arrival. The air was less cold, and the smell of rain and snow was slowly, but certainly replaced by that of budding flowers.

Ami and Umino had taken a stroll in the park that had witnessed their reunion, and were now on their way to Minako's flat. She had invited them and Ando over for a film and some ordered pizza, which was something Ami was quietly thankful for. Minako had many talents, but cooking was not among them.

Their small group had scattered into the seven winds for the weekend. Makoto and Hiromasa were over at his parents' house, finally making some introductions long overdue. Rei was busy at the shrine and in a mood so pensive that it made spending time with her impossible. Usagi and Mamoru had decided to drive to a small romantic hotel in the mountains and Takeshi had to work. Needless to say, Minako was not pleased and bored on top of that. So she had invited Ami, Umino and Ando over.

"I like it. The hair, I mean. It looks nicer when it's a bit shorter."

Ami smiled at him and once again he wondered how people could find her boring. Her shy compliment boosted his already exhilarated mood and he almost dared to take her gloved hand. Almost.

Instead, he ran his fingers through the waves that now ended a few inches above his shoulders. He had always worn it long, really long, a ponytail tangling down his back, but lately he had wished to distance himself both in personality and in looks from the man that had committed such heinous crimes. Cutting his hair was an easy way to achieve that, as was being a bit more open about his feelings for the senshi of ice and water. Or rather for the girl she had been reincarnated as, because he found himself even more pulled towards the studious doctor-to-be than to the brilliant strategist she had been in lifetimes ago. Being free to pursue her ambitions suited her, and knowing that Endymion had given them his blessing to be happy made all the difference in the world.

Having finally arrived at Minako's building, the object of his affection reached forward to push the bell.

"What sort of films does Minako like? Because if it's some Hollywood comedy about the troubles of dating, I'm afraid I might have to spend an awful lot of time hiding from the bad puns in the bathroom."

A grin tugged at the corner of Ami's mouth. The more time they spent together, the more at ease she felt to shed her customary reserve and make small jokes in her own right. It was new, but it was lovely.

"You are a very judgemental person, aren't you? No, her taste in films is a very good one, don't worry. I think she picked out Princess Bride for today." His eyes widened, but her giggle gave her away.

It was a sound he hoped to hear more often.

***

On the fifth floor, where their friend's flat was located, the sound of raised voices boomed through the hall. Cautiously, both moved closer to the front door of Minako's abode, which was already ajar in anticipation of their arrival, only to be welcomed by a pink stiletto that flew into the hall, narrowly missing their heads.

Peering inside, they were met with a view none of them had expected. Minako sat on her floor, clutching her sides, and trying to catch her breath while tears ran down her face. Above her hovered Ando, who would storm into her bedroom every other second and come out with another item that was promptly sent flying out of the door. He then looked up something in a book he was holding, before hollering afresh.

"You filthy liar! You broke my heart!", he exclaimed in a way that children might have used to imitate arguing adults.

Minako used the hem of her skirt to wipe away the tears before keeling over.

"I asked you to come to this ball with me tomorrow, Violet DuChamelle, to finally meet my benefactor, the most honourable Lady Brunswick. And then I find you in here with my page!"

The second shoe followed the first one, but Umino caught it just before it hit him in the stomach.

Ando was now kneeling in front of Minako, pompously reading out what the two visitors assumed to be the next sentence.

"But before the roguishly handsome Lord Willoughby could utter another word of anger or destroy another of her prized possessions in his wild and manly rage, Violet threw herself on her knees before him, begging him to forgive her – hmm, will she at least do something else while she is on her knees? Sorry, let me continue. Where was I? Right, here: Her amble bosom almost spilled out of her bodice- Minako, seriously, you cannot read this! You are a very smart girl, and this is rubbish! And you have stacks of it, stacks!"

Realising belatedly that the satisfying sound of the shoe hitting the wall was missing, Ando turned around to meet two pairs of disbelieving eyes.

On the floor, Minako panted, only to explode in a burst of bubbling laughter once she saw Umino and Ami standing in the door frame, looking thoroughly confused. Well, Umino more so than Ami. Ami actually looked embarrassed, which the blonde assumed had to do with her own liking of these particular kind of books.

Umino's searching eyes finally found the missing piece to the puzzle in Ando's right hand. He was holding (and acting out) a book whose garish cover showed a muscled man ardently kissing a buxom woman whose windswept hair could put even Minako to shame. Squinting, he read the title.

"Lady of Love – A court romance", he mumbled.

***

Hours later, after a passionate discussion about romance novels, their merit and whether or not Ando's scathing disdain for them was justified, Ami leaned over to Minako while they men were busy cutting the pizza and whispered in her friend's ear:

"Can I borrow it?"

Minako's answer was a wink only, as she stealthily pushed the book closer to the blue-haired woman's purse, in which it disappeared a second later.

The merry group then watched Interview with the Vampire, which even Ando admitted to liking. After an evening full of laughter, they dispersed. Ando had offered to help Minako tidy up the mess he had made earlier in his hopeless attempt of showing her precisely how ridiculous romance novels are and Umino made a mental note to talk to him about that once he got home. While it was fantastic that the two of them got along so well, he somehow doubted that Takeshi would be happy about Ando's presence in his girlfriend's flat without anyone else around.

That however did not mean that he would linger when he had the opportunity to walk Ami home. She and Minako lived quite close to another, but Umino insisted and Ami happily accepted the chivalrous offer.

After the ten minute walk that Umino wished would have lasted longer, they arrived at the modern multi-storey building Ami lived in. While he was wildly curious to see how the girl opposite him lived, he knew that now was not the right moment to invite himself up. They had all the time in the world, and he intended to take it.

So he just leaned over, closing the distance between them. Not for the first time, Ami could smell the expensive perfume he wore. Sandalwood and citrus enveloped her senses and she felt that she could get lost in that smell forever.

"Enjoy the book", were the words he whispered in her waiting ear, his breath tickling her skin.

He leaned back again, grinned and began to walk away. When he turned around once more because he just couldn't resist to look at her one last time after they had been so close, he could have sworn that the blushing girl winked at him before slipping away through the large white doors.

It had been a good night.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: Teach Me Tonight**

Ami sat at the small table close to shop window that had quickly become her second home. The past week had been spend studying in a way that was obsessive even for her. But she felt that with all the time she gladly spend with and on Umino, her studies had been scandalously neglected and she was very intend on not falling behind. This was her last semester before she would start working at a hospital as a proper doctor and knowing that people would trust her with their lives made her feel dizzy with fear and happily purposeful at the same time. Ami Mizuno needed to be prepared for the days that were to come and what better way was there than to bury herself in books and notes?

So every day, after locking herself away in the library for hours, she came to the café, took up residence at her designated table and revised what she had learned already. Umino was respectful and understanding, and more than once she had been privately thankful for him pursuing an academic career. He knew how important her studies were to her, because so were his to him. Only that if he made a mistake, no one would die. Naturally, this was a thought she would never ever voice.

He had joined her yesterday, quietly working on his thesis, only occasionally sneaking her a glance that send the butterflies in her stomach flying. Once Makoto closed the shop, he had walked her home and his hand had brushed against hers several times on the way, and she was sure that none of them were accidental. Minako had teased her about their prolonged courtship, and even Usagi had begun to ask about their still non-existing first kiss, when they hadn't so much as purposefully touched one another. The only one who might have understood their need and their desire to take it slow and to connect on a spiritual level first was Rei, but Ami didn't dare to mention the shitennou to her. Not because she was afraid, but because she knew how raw and open the wounds Jadeite had left in her friend's heart when he wasn't even himself still were. Rei was bleeding, leaving one drop of her blood behind every time the memories and the man resurfaced. Not even the soon-to-be doctor could do anything do alleviate her pain.

But despite the long hours, and the knowledge of her friend's turmoil, life had never been so good to her. Ever since her father had disappeared all those years ago, Ami had surrounded herself with women only. Having Umino in her life was a change of biggest (and best) calibre.

Searching for something in her notes, she didn't notice Hiromasa approaching her. He spend almost as much time in the café as Makoto. Only when he knocked on the table and took a seat in the chair opposite her did she look up.

"Makoto sends you this from the kitchens. And she made a point of telling me to make sure that you eat it all up. And between you and me, I'd rather not make her angry."

With that, he pushed the books out of the way and a plate over to her. On it was a rather generous portion of blueberry cake. A small note was propped up next to it, reading _Blueberries for the vitamins_ in Mako's loopy , he produced a small cup containing an almost black liquid.

"And this is my addition. Espresso, very strong. I think you'll like it."

"That is so nice of you, both of you, but I really need to study. I will begin my first year as a surgical intern come August and there is so much I still need to learn and-"

Hiromasa leaned over the table, concern and mild amusement playing out on his features. He interrupted her flow of words and cut in smoothly.

"If you want to be a doctor, and I am sure you will be a great one, you need to take good care of yourself. Or let Makoto do it, she has a knack for watching over people, especially those who forget to eat when they're busy." He grinned, got up and returned with a small pink bowl filled with whipped cream and began to generously pile it on top of her cake. He didn't stop until she finally laughed and waved him off, accepting both the cake and the espresso with a smile. Ami didn't know whether Makoto's baking skills had gotten better yet again, but something about this cake tasted even better than usual.

Suddenly realising that while she knew a lot about how to fix a broken bone, she knew next to nothing about the man opposite her. She knew who he used to be, that he loved her friend more than his life, that he had family that he cared deeply for, that most of his furniture was excruciatingly heavy, that he owned next to no books and that he preferred muffins to cookies. Oh, and that he knew how to make worried people laugh. But that was it. And it was decidedly not enough.

"Hiromasa, what is that you do for a living?", she asked between bites, ever too polite to speak while actually chewing. The tall man leaned back in his chair and even before he had uttered one word, she knew that he was just as passionate about his job as Makoto was about the café. His brown eyes had lit up and his face was full of movement when he spoke.

"I design and make furniture. Lots of heavy wooden things, so nothing Takeshi would ever consider buying, but he's not exactly my target group. Most of the stuff you and Umino carried out of my old bachelor pad and into our home was made by me. Good, hu?"

Makoto had come over and joined them at the small table, making sure that all other customers were happy before she sat down on his lap in a movement so natural it made Ami yearn for something similar in her own life. Maybe it was time to move a teeny tiny step forward, she wondered and thought of the lanky blond philosopher who had died for her once and who was just as shy and careful as she was.

One arm of Hiromasa's arms encircled the brunette's waist, while the other described some of the pieces he had designed by drawing them in the air in the most animated way.

"And did you know that I recently made some bookshelves out of cherry wood? They are quite strong, can carry up to 350 books, I think you should look at them, what with your studying and all. They are about two and a half metres tall, aren't they, Mako?"

His hand occasionally bumped into the window while he described the bookshelves in more detail, as the space available was obviously to small to do his work justice.

Makoto grinned, Ami giggled and Hiromasa beamed.

The chef suddenly spotted something or someone through the glass, and waved enthusiastically.

Ando and Minako, ever inseparable these days, tumbled in the café with a delighted Usagi in tow. More chairs were pulled over to Ami's small makeshift desk, and all thoughts of studying were forgotten as the newcomers began to excitedly tell them all about a new story Ando was working on and how he had employed both Minako and Usagi as secret undercover spies. Not that they had been particularly successful, but all of them felt that this was slightly beyond the point any way.

Books lay forgotten as Ami enjoyed her friends' company, and sipping her espresso, she decided that since a huge part of being a good doctor consisted of talking to people, doing just that was excellent preparation indeed.

Many years in the future, when all of them spend more time behind the walls of a crystal palace than in the café that was still open and running, Sailor Mercury gave an overworked General Nephrite a top of the line espresso-machine for his birthday and a piece of blueberry cake that was completely covered in whipped cream to boot.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most**

***

When her entered her flat, the myriad of sounds launched an onslaught on his nerves. He had been in the office for over twelve hours in an attempt to make up for the free day he had taken yesterday. She sat perched on her kitchen counter, eating cold curry straight from its box. The TV was blaring, her radio was on and right in front of her stood her small green laptop computer. The nimble fingers of her right hand typed the occasional word, while she happily munched on, completely oblivious to his arrival.

Dressed in a floor-length white summer dress despite winter's final onslaught outside, and with her unruly hair held up by some chopsticks, she was quite a picture. Around her, chaos reigned.

Once he turned the TV off, she lifted her eyes from the computer screen and flashed him her most brilliant smile.

"Hey you. Do you want some curry?"

Putting his briefcase down, he walked over to her and carefully sniffed the greasy curry.

"Minako, how old is that?"

Waving the pink fork in her hand, she made a face that clearly told him not to be so picky. He promptly decided to steer away from the food.

"No, thank you. I'd rather not."

After shedding both his coat and his tie, and turning off the radio, he took the offensive box from her hand and threw it straight in the bin.

"Hey, I was eating that!"

He only smirked and picked the unsuspecting bundle of girl up and carried her to her couch, fully intending to put her there and arrange for something proper to eat. But Minako Aino had different plans, so she pulled him down with her, snaking slender arms around his neck and long legs around his slim hips.

"Why don't you stay here with me for a minute? Now that you've dragged me away from the computer and viciously turned off all of my entertainment, you have to provide an alternative or I will get bored. And you don't want that, do you now?" Her blue eyes were sparkling with mischief and quickly deciding that there were more important things than eating, he allowed her sweet smell to engulf him and gave in to her embrace. Careful as to not crush her with his weight, he rested on top of her.

"And what sort of entertainment do you want me to provide you with?", he asked her with a deadpan face. "I can tell you about the meeting with a client form London I had today. He wants me to build him a love nest for his mistress. Lots of small towers, French windows and staircases."

Feigning interest, she answered while slowly nibbling his ear.

"Must be a good a very profitable commission. Men in love tend to splurge."

Thinking about the not so small box in the pocket of his coat, he grinned, but she could only feel the movement of his face as he brushed it against her own neck, his breath sending goosebumps down her spine.

"Yes, they do. Which is a pity for his wife who has not only lost the attention of her husband, but also has to live in a very boring house. Without French windows."

Slender fingers tugged at the hem of his shirt, successfully pulling it out from his trousers. Making use of the opportunity thus presented, they immediately slipped under it and traced small patterns on his back.

"If she is smart, she will take his credit card to compensate her loss."

Closing his eyes, he let his hands wander, moving over curves, under the folds of her dress. A small gasp escaped her throat. His touch always took her out of this world and into another. It had been like this since their first night, and the feeling still remained.

On the counter, the computer stood forgotten.

***

Another day, another chance.

Once again, Ando made his way up the many stairs leading to the shrine. The sun had come out to play, but maybe it was just reluctant to miss the spectacle that this meeting promised to be. It watched the shitennou's back, and framed his hair in a halo of golden light.

He was quite a vision, and as such he had a pronounced effect on the pair of school girls that had just stormed out of the temple and into the fresh air. Both of them began to giggle, and the more daring one of them batted her eye lashes at him in what she hoped would be an alluring gesture.

The truth was that on this ground, with Mars' reincarnation only metres away, no other woman could deter Ando Tanaka from focusing every inch of his being on the princess he had loved so much and who still evaded him.

He found her within minutes.

"So, lovely day, huh? I think the fact that the sun is always shining when I stop by for a visit has to account for something. Personally, I interpret is as such: The gods are using the weather to tell you that spending time with me is actually a brilliant idea."

Rei turned around to find a grinning Ando leaning against a wall. He was in a visibly good mood, grinning from ear to ear and waiting for her comeback. Despite herself, she turned and smiled. How many sleepless nights he had caused her, she didn't know because counting them would have made resisting him only harder.

"You do realise that speaking of weather that it always good is rather besides the point, when this is only the second time you've been here?"

"Hmm, only the second time? Careful there, this sounds almost as if you want me around more often and I don't think you're quite there yet." He wagged his fingers in mock reprimanding, and Rei suddenly understood why he and Minako got along so well.

Had she been raised differently and not worn the traditional clothing that demanded a certain respect, she would have rolled her eyes. Instead, she walked past him and towards the back entrance of the temple, calling to him over her shoulder.

"If we are going to have this conversation, I'd rather have it sitting down and with a cup of tea in front of me."

Not quite believing his luck, he resisted the urge to just bound after her like a happy puppy and instead followed the miko in measured steps which belied his goofy smile.

They sat down in a small and almost empty room. It was designed to exude calm, there were next to no colours but the white of the carpet and the polished cherry wood of the table and it promptly made him nervous. He was more at ease around bright, flashing neons and loud voices. This quietness had an intention, it was here that things were brought to light that should rather have lain forgotten. The smile slid from his face like melted wax, and if it were any other person in the room, he would have bolted from it long ago. But everything about her kept him in place; he was a starving man, and she was the only nourishment that he cared for.

Her capable hands prepared the tea, but she made sure not to touch him when she handed him the delicate porcelain cup. Too strong was the feeling that she would lose herself once skin met skin if she had not prepared herself for it.

"Can you still read minds?"

The question caught him off guard, and he almost spilled the hot beverage. He had expected an onslaught of insults, cold tones that were supposed to drive him away and bitter resentment, but this casual, yet loaded question took him by surprise. But she always did.

"_You are changing. You are changing into another man right in front of me, don't you dare deny it! What has gotten into you lately?"_

_She hated the pleading sound of her voice, but something was very wrong and it was her duty as a senshi and her need as his lover to find out what it was. Darkness was everywhere, tainting the few hours they managed to steal from father time and turning their love into something foul._

"_I do not know what you are talking about. I am very much the man I've been the first time we met, but maybe I'm not to your taste any longer? Perhaps you have grown bored of me, and now wish to be held by someone else's arms? I suggest Nephrite, he is quite ardent, if the maids are to be believed."_

_He had never spoken to her in that way, with derision mocking her through every word. It hurt her deeply, and the fact that she could never lie to him and make him believe that she stopped caring for him dug into her even further. For him, she had given up everything but being a senshi. The first daughter of Mars' rulers was traditionally a priestess, but this position was tied to the virginity she had willingly given to him, thus barring her way back into the temples for evermore._

_A sinister smirk rested on his lips as he used them to kiss her goodbye. Her mind was an open book to him ever since they had shared a bed, and he was taking advantage of it now to lash back at her, solely because she belonged to a world that resisted his own so persistently. Beryl was right, Earth deserved a place among the other planets in the Silver Alliance and it was because of people like Sailor Mars that they didn't get it. He closed the door gently, a completely mockery of attentive behaviour. Once it was shut, she crumbled to the floor, where Mercury found her hours later._

Weighing his words more carefully than normal for him, he took his time to answer. His eyes however were always set on hers. He suddenly understood that she was not going to let him down easy. A message would be delivered today, and he was the recipient, willing or not.

"Yes, I can." Clearing his throat, he continued. "It's not controllable as of yet, I occasionally hear bits and pieces, see some images, but I cannot use it consciously. It just happens."

"Jade-"

"This is no longer my name." His voice was rougher than he would have liked it to be, but he was deeply unsettled and yet something inside him refused to cave. His witticism had left him at the door, stripping him down to the very core. In this white room, joking and pretending were not an option.

"It will always be your name."

Putting the cup back on its saucer, she broke the eye contact. If he had to put a finger on it, he would have reckoned that she was steeling herself to be vulnerable, which was a completely stupid thing to say, but no other words came to the smooth talker's mind.

Before the silence stretched to far, she reached over the table and grabbed his hand.

An avalanche of images flooded his mind almost violently, as her touch send his soul reeling.

_Black clothes. A grave. A funeral._

_A small girl crying and waving after a retreating black limousine._

_The same girl being led into the very temple that he was in now, were women clad in white shirts and red skirts dried her tears and cheered her up with friendly jokes and tales about strong priestesses._

_An old man who told her that this sacred ground should pass onto her once he was no more._

_His Psyche putting on the uniform of a miko for the first time, with a face so full of pride._

_A fire burning brightly in the night, spilling secrets and premonitions that were both her gift and her burden._

_Rejection from a man named Kaidou._

_White Casablanca lilies, tears, and an unanswered prayer to never fall in love again._

_His own face, sneering, taunting, burning._

_Five girls with solemn faces and wisdom beyond their years._

_Mars standing all alone on the battlefield that was the moon, before dying as much of the wounds on her horribly charred flesh as a broken heart._

_Blood. So much blood._

_Finally, the shrine again. Peace, love, hope. A sense of security._

The images stopped as soon as her hand had left his. Whether it was out of revenge or not, she had used his gift against him to make him understand. Nausea threatened to overwhelm him, and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the table like a lifeline.

"I hope that I will be able to accept you in time, but do not make me leave this place for something you might throw away again. Here, I am happy. Here, I belong. If you really do feel something for me, as you have Minako believe, then leave me to this. Allow me peace. Do not make me break another vow."

Somewhere in the distance, laughter and shouts mingled, but to him everything was a blur.

"There is no room for the shrine and for you. Do not make me chose, for the last time you did so, I chose you and ended up alone, and there was no way to return to what I was. I cannot take this once more." That her voice was soft almost caused him to throw up. Had he opened his eyes again, he would have seen the tears on her face.

But even without that, shame reared its ugly head, and it had brought his friend regret along with it.

Regret for everything that was and for things that would never be. She was a priestess, she was unattainable. Leaving her alone was all he could do to make her happy. She had made herself perfectly clear, and the words spoken in the corridors of the moon palace resonated in his ears.

"_One day, Jadeite, I will tell you to leave and I will mean it. Do not be so foolish to extend your welcome then, for it will not be pleasant."_

He all but jumped up, storming out into the sunlight and away from the miko and his heart.

The porcelain cups shivered, but did not break.

***

The lecture hall was crowded, it was early in the morning and the professor's ongoing droning did nothing to keep the two blonde girls in the last row focused. Usagi was leaning on Minako's shoulder, having been propelled into a sweet slumber by the monotone voice of the ancient man in front of them. Luckily, he neither cared nor noticed what his students were doing.

Minako read a book that had decidedly nothing to do with the subject of the lecture, but she felt as long as she was in this room, everything she did sort of counted as studying. It was one of Ando's well used paperbacks that had found his way into her bag by accident. If her friend's exasperated complaints about her reading habits and his shoving the book into her hands could be counted as an accident, that is. _The Hobbit_ had proved to be very good though, and she decided to ask the journalist for another recommendation as soon as she was finished with this once.

A thought tugged at the corner of her mind, and ten more pages into Bilbo's meeting with the dwarves, it demanded her full attention.

***

Once all the lectures had been attended, Minako hugged Usagi and made her way to Rei's home. Taking the steps two at a time, she arrived at the temple slightly out of breath, her cheeks tinted red by exercise and air. Rei's grandfather saw her arrive and pointed to the back of the impressive building. Raising her hand in a gesture of thanks, the blonde walked a little bit faster. The old man had looked worried.

Above her, the clouds were playing hide and seek with the sun, moving about the blue sky in an elegant chase. When she finally spotted her friend just standing around without any task to occupy her usually diligent fingers, she broke into a run.

***

The door bell rang out noisily, being pressed time and again. Sighing, Umino got up and left his desk to answer to this impatient visitor. While Ando was at home, there was no chance in heaven or in hell that he would so much as lift a finger. He had locked himself in his room immediately after his return, and not one sound had come from it since.

When it was Minako who stood in front of him, with concern etched into her pretty face, the philosopher suddenly had a good idea as to why Ando was hiding. He must have been at the temple.

"Is he here?"

Not waiting for an answer, she brushed past him and headed past their living-room and straight to his bedroom. Why she knew which behind which door the room was located was beyond him. Unless she had been here before...

Firm knocks were designed to tell the suffering man that she had arrived, but he obviously chose not listen.

"Ando, it's me. Let me in."

Umino inched closer, not sure whether to stay or to leave. The door remained firmly shut, but the girl was not deterred and kept on knocking. Somewhere in the kitchen, a clock was ticking.

"Minako, do you want me to call Takeshi? He might be able to help."

The blonde stopped in her movements and slowly turned around.

"No, don't call him. I sincerely doubt that his presence would make a difference. I'll take care of this."

Secretly, Umino was certain that Takeshi's presence would make a difference. It would make all the difference in the world, if not to Ando, then at least to the silver-haired man himself.

The door was opened and Minako slipped in. Despite the short time it had been open, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol reached his nostrils. Shaking his head, Umino returned to his desk with a bad feeling in his guts and an even worse one in his heart.

***

When he entered his girlfriend's flat, he didn't need to look for her in order to know that she wasn't there. It was completely silent, and since Minako couldn't even read a book without some sort of background noise, it was easy to deduce that she was absent.

No note lay waiting for him, and the answering machine was empty. Takeshi frowned. He was quite certain that they had arranged to meet here tonight, but maybe she had mixed it up. Or been held up somewhere. Being on time wasn't exactly her forte. When he tried to call her on her mobile, she didn't pick up and eventually, her voicebox answered.

Having always been convinced that leaving a message on a machine was rather superfluous when the person who he tried to contact was not picking up the phone in the first place, he broke the connection and sat down on the couch, thinking once more that it was completely impossible that the girl didn't have a single proper table in her flat. She had no dining table, and no desk. There were several spindly coffee tables dotted around the apartment, but that was it.

Propping his sketchbook up on his knees, he began to work on the designs for his new client, sure that she would arrive soon in a whirlwind of laughter and apologies.

But as night had fallen and there was still no trace of her, he grabbed sketchbook, briefcase and his coat and left for his place, still hoping to find her there. He didn't.

An almost sleepless night followed.

***

In the morning, Umino was once again disturbed by the angry sounds of his door bell.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he got up, hair tousled and eyes almost closed. In the hall he stumbled over the bag Minako had unceremoniously dropped there last night. Cursing, he kicked the orange leather. The bell did not stop ringing.

"Oh for the love of God! I'm on my way!", he hollered. No, Umino Kiichi was definitely not a morning person. Back in Kyoto, his friends had never bothered to speak to him before ten o'clock and even in school the teachers knew that despite the boy's brilliance, no decent answer was to be gotten out of him before the clock struck a certain mark.

Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he finally reached the door.

Postman? Landlord? Bothersome children? Jehovah's witnesses?

Takeshi.

_Shit._

"Good morning, Umino. I apologize for waking you, but I am looking for Minako. None of the girls knew where she was, and I am beginning to worry. Maybe Ando knows something?"

Dressed impeccably in his suit and coat, with not a single hair out of place, his friend was the picture of a perfectly composed man. But Umino knew better and while he still wondered how to breach the news to him, Takeshi had already spotted the treacherous bag.

Recognition flitted over his features and the expression that followed caused Umino to step out of the way and let him into the flat. Striding through the hall, Takeshi threw him an inquiring glance as to which door it was he should open. Gesturing to the last one on the right side, the tired man desperately wished that Minako and Ando were doing something innocent. Like playing scrabble. Or acting out stupid romance novels.

The door was opened, and closed just as quickly. White-faced, Takeshi turned and left, not sparing the helpless man in his pyjamas a second glance.

Teetering on the spot for a little while, curiosity finally got the better of him and he too snuck to the door and peaked in. While it could have been worse, it wasn't good. And it most certainly wasn't scrabble.

They lay asleep on Ando's bed, above the covers, fully clothed, but in an embrace, with Ando's chin resting on the top of Minako's head. Even sleeping, they held hands. The tranquillity of the scene belied the storm it would cause once they awoke.

Already knowing that doing so was incredibly foolish, Umino went into his room, changed and set out to follow Takeshi.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: Landslide**

***

Umino stumbled out of the flat less than a minute later, the laces of his trainers still untied, slamming the door excessively behind him. It was time for the two to wake up.

Naturally, Takeshi was nowhere to be seen. An elderly lady tutted at the young man who was standing in the middle of the pavement, and elbowed him while walking by. Already, this was a horrible day, Umino mused. Running around the next corner, he spotted his friend's tall retreating form and his careful and measured steps.

He jogged to catch up with him, and two men walked in silence. They cut a strange picture, what with one of them in perfectly smart attire and the other one in pyjama bottoms, trainers, a Burberry scarf, a hooded jumper and no jacket despite the rather chilly temperatures.

Speaking first would probably be the final nail in his coffin, Umino decided and stuck to silence.

Two blocks later, Takeshi spoke up ever so evenly.

"Did you know that she was there?"

Sighing, Umino answered.

"Yes. She arrived late yesterday afternoon, pounding on Ando's door. He was upset. Because of Rei, I think, and she went in to comfort him. I don't think you have anything to worry about, Minako obviously lov-"

Takeshi halted, turned towards him and cut across his friend harshly, but at least without raising his voice.

"Minako obviously loves to spend time with Ando."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Umino, you have never seen her and I together, so tell me how exactly can you pass any judgement on her feelings for me? I'd appreciate it if you could stay out of this. It's what you did when she went into Ando's bedroom yesterday night, so I don't see how you have a right to speak about it today. And now please do excuse me, I have to get to the office and I am already late because I was actually worried that she might have been in some sort of trouble."

He strode away, leaving a floundering Umino in his untied trainers behind.

***

At about the same time, Ando woke up to the smell of a full ashtray on his bedside locker, and the comfortable weight of a girl in his arms. Some people needed a minute or two to remember where they were, what they had done the day before or what their plans for today were, but Ando's mind was functioning perfectly the second his eyes opened.

How could he forget?

The images had tormented him all night long, and it was only when Minako had stubbornly pulled him into a tight embrace that his mind stopped reeling. She had brought him comfort, she had brought him temporary peace. Smiling down on her messy blonde curls, he reached for the pack of cigarettes lying beside him and lit one.

A mumbled voice came from general area of his chest, where the waking girl was resting.

"Please tell me that you don't normally light a cigarette first thing in the morning."

He chuckled.

"No, normally I have a good wank, but what with you here, I don't think that's appropriate."

She laughed noiselessly and took the cigarette from his hand, bringing it to her lips and inhaling deeply.

"How are you feeling?", she asked him without lifting her head to see his eyes. Ando never hid anything from her, so there was no need to search his face for additional information.

"Like shit."

The statement hung in the smoke filled air, and just as she wanted to speak up again, utter soothing words of comfort, they heard the door slam and furious steps pounding down the hall.

Finally pushing herself up on her elbows and thus entangling herself from his embrace, she looked at the pale man questioningly. Colour had yet to return to his cheeks, ever since Rei's hand had touched his he looked like a ghost: white, scared, lonely. You could practically hear the chains rattle as he moved.

Without knocking, the door was opened and its frame filled by the lanky form of Ando's flatmate and fellow shitennou.

The younger man was seething. Also, he looked uncharacteristically messy for so vain a person. Minako's alert eyes travelled over the angry philosopher, but he didn't even notice the scan he was given. Normally, he would have been either smug at the attention or offended because it was given in so critical a manner.

"Ando, a word please."

"Not now, Umino."

"Right now, Ando! Move!"

Taking the cigarette from Minako's fingers, Ando inhaled and shot his flatmate a weary look. Umino stepped into the room and pulled up the blinds, bathing them in sunlight that was more than a little unwelcome to their sleep deprived selves. They had talked until the first birds had begun twittering, as if the sound of their voices could drown out to the image implemented in his mind. It was a vain effort, both knew it and yet it was all they could do at the given time. Words had no power here. But touch did, which was why Minako had insisted on hugging him and had stayed in his bed until now.

When the journalist just dropped back into the pillows and placed a hand on his eyes in order to shield them from the light, Umino knew that Ando was not in a reasonable mood, and thus turned to the girl.

"Takeshi was just here and saw you. Sleeping. In his arms!" He gestured rudely to his comrade, and fixed the senshi with a stern face.

"Takeshi knows that we are just fri-", Ando peeking out from between his fingers, tried to cut in, but he was interrupted by the lanky youth before he could finish his sentence.

"Takeshi knows that his girlfriend was not at her flat this night, Takeshi knows that you two spend a ridiculous amount of time together, Takeshi know that you and your sneering and your taunting broke them apart back then, BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE JUST FRIENDS!"

Minako had immediately jumped off the bed once Umino started his tirade, squeezed Ando's hand in passing and then left the room with an unreadable expression on her face. Once again, their flat witnessed the slamming of a door and the two men remained alone in the merciless light that pierced through the windows.

***

While Minako's first instinct was to run to Takeshi's office and tell him that everything was alright and he had no reason to worry, she knew better than to corner him. Their last fight had taught her that. He needed time to calm down, and she needed time to think about how she could make him see that Ando was not a threat to whatever it was they had.

Because she was still not quite sure that it counted as a relationship.

While they had mind-blowing sex, enjoyed each other's company and often found themselves deep in conversation, they shared so little. The senshi had often thought that it must be very difficult to find two people who were more unsuited to be in a committed relationship with another then herself and Takeshi, love aside. And she had wondered more than once whether they would fallen for each other if they didn't have their memories, if they really were just Minako and Takeshi. The fact that she still didn't know the answer to that question made her sick to the stomach. She was certain that Umino and Ami would be head over heels, as they shared so much. Makoto and Hiromasa seemed made for each other, very much like Usagi and Mamoru. But what about herself?

So once again, she blew the lectures in the wind and went home instead of university. What with all the troubling thoughts in her mind, she wouldn't be able to focus on her studies anyway.

Throwing the keys on the sideboard in the hall, she walked into her living room. A few sheets of paper rested on her couch, and only when she picked them up and looked at the forceful, yet elegant strokes of the pencil did she realise what her comforting of Ando might have done to the fragile bond she shared with the impossibly stern man she had never been able to stop loving. Gently tracing over the drawn lines of the French Windows, she sighed. The palace on the Moon had been full of these, and more than once had Kunzite snuck through them to meet her for a forbidden rendezvous.

Not surprisingly, Minako felt that she needed advice and the sound of happy voices and thus went to the only person who was guaranteed to supply both.

***

"You look horrible. Didn't you get any sleep last night?"

"Thanks for the compliment, and no, I didn't. Not much anyway. So please make me one of those hellish espressos your boyfriend enjoys so much."

Brunette pony-tail swishing behind her, Makoto disappeared behind the counter.

"Do you want cake?"

"Not today, no."

Makoto cleaned the cake shovel with a wet sponge and just as she was about to carefully slide it under a pink frosted piece of strawberry short cake, did she notice that her friend had actually declined.

"Excuse me, but did you say you don't want one?"

"Yep, that's what I said."

Shaking her head, Makoto picked the whole pink wonder out of the counter and put it right in front of Minako, who was leaning against the counter. Several customers looked up at the pretty chef and the even prettier cake.

"Does your rejection of this beauty and your appearance during lecture time have anything to do with your lack of sleep?"

A grin flitted over Minako's face.

"You are a master detective." Greedy fingers grabbed the small cup holding the almost black liquid as soon as Makoto had set it down in front of her, but Minako had underestimated how hot the beverage was going to be and promptly burned her tongue. She cursed and sat it back down, eyeing it morosely.

"I have to. Do you want me to continue making educated guesses or will you just spill the beans?"

An elderly man waved over to them, ordering a piece of the rejected cake with a wide smile on his friendly face. As soon as Makoto had put it on a plate, Minako grabbed the china and brought it to the man, all charm and no worries. She really would have made a terrific actress, Makoto mused and waited for her friend to return and to resume the conversation.

"Actually, I need a little cheering up and I have always enjoyed quizzes, especially when I know the answers and others don't. So why don't you ask, I'll answer and we see how quickly you have me fixed."

Rolling her eyes, Makoto put the cake back in the counter.

"Does it have to do with Takeshi and him calling me at seven o'clock in the morning to ask where you are?"

"Yes. Wait, he did that? Oh shoot."

"Does it have to do with Ando?"

"You really are a master detective, aren't you? How did you know that?"

"Min, while I appreciate the compliment, it's not that hard to figure out that your boyfriend might find it difficult that you spend just as much time with another man. Another rather attractive man. With whom he – according to Hiromasa – has always had a strained relationship. They are rivals as much as friends. And naturally, you are completely oblivious to all of this, aren't you?"

Minako buried her head in her arms in a gesture of mock despair, one that might not have been on display for comic relief only. Her muffled words were hard to understand, but Makoto had years of training and peaked her ears just a little bit more, thus catching what the blonde was saying.

"I know that Takeshi has some difficulties with me and Ando hanging out. Especially since he sort of walked in on us this morning."

"Excuse me, Takeshi walked in on you and Ando? Minako, you silly thing! What have you done?"

Makoto's voice had taken on an edge; everyone knew how much she liked Takeshi and how highly she valued him as a person. She sounded appalled, and fixed her friend with a look that would one day scare her children into perfect obedience.

"It's not like that! I stayed over at Ando's last night. He and Rei had a huge argument, well not really an argument, but it was something major and it wasn't good and he just needed me there. I completely forgot that I was supposed to meet Takeshi, so he got worried and came looking for me at Ando's and Umino's flat this morning."

"And he found you."

"Yes, he found me."

Reaching in the counter, the pink cake was once again lifted, a large slice of it was put on one of the beautiful delicate plates and placed in front of Minako.

"Talk to him tonight, explain it, and please do stay calm while you do so. Fix this, Minako."

"Do you and Hiro stay calm when you talk about massively emotional and catchy stuff?"

"No, but we do not have a history of breaking up all the time."

Grumbling, Minako viciously began to pick the cake apart with a silver fork, but didn't eat it.

"Also, we need to take care of Rei. She is not in a good place right now, and while she won't ask for help, she needs it. She needs us. I've been to visit her yesterday, and I will go over again in an hour or so, but it would be good if you could invite her over for dinner or something."

A heap of whipped cream was deftly dropped on the cake, before Makoto strode over to her old-fashioned telephone to let Hiromasa know that they would have a guest this evening.

***

Rei was not surprised to see Minako step through the doors. The blonde sat down beside her, giving her a troubled look. Rei's room was a mess, and this was unheard of. Rei was very much like Takeshi in that aspect, both kept their homes obsessively tidy and clean, and this deviance from the norm was worrisome to say the least. The priestess herself didn't look much better. Her hair was unkempt, her clothes wrinkly and the bags under her eyes told the story of a night full of tears.

"Did you go to him?", Rei asked, her voice shaking ever so lightly.

"I did. It was good that you sent me, he's very upset."

"Thank you, Minako. I owe you."

Shaking her head, the blonde reached for a comb lying on a nearby table and began ever so carefully to run it through the long black hair of her friend. Even though Rei herself had asked her to go to Ando, she had a guilty conscience. The priestess had needed her here just as much, but Minako had been stupid enough to trust her assurances that she would be okay and had allowed herself to be send over to the man her friend loved so much that she'd rather suffer herself than know that he was all alone and in pain.

***

It was two o'clock at night when the door was finally pushed open and Takeshi entered his penthouse. He had worked for hours to keep himself occupied, but only his stubbornness had kept him at the desk and in his office. His thoughts had long since been somewhere else.

So when he saw the sleeping girl on his black leather couch, he wasn't sure whether to be relieved or angry. She had come to him, but she had not been invited. She was sleeping on his couch just as she had been sleeping in Ando's bed. She was everything to him, but once again he had to wonder which role it was that he had assumed in her life.

The soft thunk his briefcase made when he put in on the cold floor woke her up. She rose to a sitting position, quickly rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She had stayed awake as long as she could, but the previous night with its lack of sleep had finally taken its toll and claimed her. The carefully applied make-up was now smeared, but Takeshi couldn't tell whether this was due to sleeping or due to crying. Remembering how proud Venus had always been, he would have guessed it was the former.

"Takeshi, I am sorry for not calling you yesterday."

He responded with a nod and loosened his tie, pulling one of chairs from the dining room table close and sitting down on it. There was plenty of space on the couch, or on the two armchairs that flanked each side of it, but he preferred to keep his distance. The city's lights glimmered in the velvet sky, and it seemed as if all of them were watching the lovers now.

He cloaked himself in silence and waited for her to resume.

"He visited Rei at the temple yesterday, and it didn't go well. Both of them were devastated, and I needed to go check on him. I had to. It was an act of friendship, please don't be angry with me."

Untangling herself from her sitting position, she made a move to get up and walk towards to him, but he stopped her with a motion of his hand.

"Shouldn't you have been at Rei's then?"

"Excuse me?"

"Shouldn't you make sure that Rei is fine instead of Ando? She is your fellow senshi, so shouldn't your first loyalty be towards her and not towards the man who has been causing her so much pain?"

The insinuation hit a little too close at home and the fact that it mirrored her own thoughts did nothing to alleviate her ever growing guilty conscience. She shouldn't have gone to Ando, no matter how hard Rei had insisted. She should have stayed put and sensed how bad her friend had felt, but she hadn't and the thought stung. Horribly so. Once more, Takeshi had pushed all the right buttons without even trying. So Minako slipped into a defensive mode in the blink of an eye, temper flaring and eyes blazing. She snapped.

"I don't think that you of all people should talk to me about loyalty, Kunz-"

She stopped herself before she finished the name none of them had uttered before, but the damage had been done. Her eyes were wide with shock and apologies that would never ever be good enough. The rage had disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, but it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Bowing his head, he collected himself, neither willing nor able to let her in on the pain her words had caused him. So to her he still was Kunzite and Kunzite only. Murderer, traitor, monster. Suddenly, finding her in his mate's bed was no longer as big a problem as it had been a precious few hours ago. A part of him wished that this jealousy could still be all that consumed his mind and worry him, but a barren grey landscape full of something far more vile lay in front of him and he suddenly found himself at a loss as to how to navigate around it. He knew that if he looked up at her, he would see the image of her broken body, twisted terribly by his own magic. Some evil deeds were never forgotten, no matter how hard one tried.

Takeshi got up and moved towards his open kitchen, calling over his shoulder as he went.

"Leave a note next time."

He fixed himself a drink and moved into his small study, not bothering to close the door behind him. Minako would not follow him now.

On the couch, Minako Aino cursed her stupidity and buried her head in her hands, disappearing behind a curtain of gold.

While she did stay for the rest of the night, no touch passed between, and he refused to meet her eyes.

She had never felt like such a failure.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: Running to stand still**

***

The night had been a short one, and his sleep had been pierced by nightmares of the most abhorrent kind time and again. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw blood, death and destruction. Before the sun had arisen, Takeshi was wide awake and refused to fall back asleep. One more nightmarish remembrance of his past would undo him.

Next to him lay Minako, very very still. Each time he had shot up in his bed, he had searched for the luminescent light of her hair in the darkness and listened carefully for the soft sound of her breathing.

Unknowingly, Minako had unleashed his inner demons very much like Rei had done to Ando. They were so prominent now, looming over his shoulders and leaving him cold and alone in the dead of the night.

And yet, he couldn't bring himself to get up and leave her behind. He continued to watch her sleeping, his angel with her venomous tongue. What future could they possibly have if their past stood between them like that? The question was not new, but it now had an edge to it that he hadn't felt before.

The girl turned and rested closer to him now. Only millimetres kept them from touching, but the invisible barrier remained uncrossed. It seemed that they were back were they had started, and the thought didn't sit well with the architect.

Half an hour later, Takeshi finally tore his eyes from her and got up.

The sound of the shower's drumming water woke her up, and the feeling of misery consumed her as soon as she realised that he had left the bed without so much as a hurried kiss. While she knew that she had no right to expect anything from him after the disastrous evening, she had still hoped that come morning, everything would be forgotten and they could just pick up where they had left things before everything had gone so horribly wrong. Her inner optimist was bitterly disappointed.

Following him into the steaming bathroom, she could barely make him out in the shower. How hot the water had to be to create such a mist was something she had no inclination to find out, but the image of his broad back nevertheless propelled her forward and she slid under the shower alongside him. Her slender body pressed itself against his taut muscles and her arms encircled him, holding him as tight as she could. The embrace was meant to say so many things, but she doubted that he was inclined to listen. His stood with his arms pushed against the wall, exercising every inch of willpower left in him to suppress the urge to turn around and seek solace in her arms. A solace he didn't deserve.

Takeshi closed his eyes and neither one of them noticed that Minako had forgotten to shed her pyjamas before entering the shower. They remained like this for ten more minutes, before Takeshi got out without a word and left the fully clothed woman under the scolding water.

***

Ando wondered when had been the last time he dreaded a meeting with friends this much and concluded that he probably never had. There was not enough alcohol in this world to make an evening in a pub with Umino (who was still glowering at him), Takeshi (who'd probably punch him again), Hiromasa (whose opinion on the whole thing was not quite clear yet) and the blissfully clueless Mamoru anything but incredibly awkward. But the meeting had been arranged weeks ago and he couldn't cancel now.

Checking his mobile phone again, the display still help no information besides the time. He hadn't heard from Minako ever since she stormed out of his bedroom yesterday morning, which was a very bad sign indeed. Shaking the pack of cigarettes, the journalist came to realise that not only was it empty, but smoking was most certainly going to be prohibited in the pub anyway. The revelation did nothing to cheer him up. His bloodshot eyes shot over the spines of his books, all of which were staked on his desk in a chaotic heap of world literature. What sort of book was fitting right now? Something dark, that was for sure. _The Changeling_ was pulled from one of the many stacks and opened, but the words refused to come together before his eyes.

The sound of Umino steps in the hall and the thud of a closing door caused him to drop the book, grab his jacket and follow his flatmate.

"You know, since we're going to the same place, we might as well go together. Only going together doesn't really work when you just up and leave without telling me, does it now?"

Umino just shrugged his shoulders and walked on without paying any further attention to the man next to him.

Tonight was going to be great.

***

The others were already in the pub, and the three sets of identically angry glares he received rendered any questions concerning the evening's fun factor superfluous.

Hiromasa, who had always been the most outright of them all, welcomed Umino with a brotherly hug and Ando without so much as a handshake but with a few choice words instead. Mamoru just shook his head like a disappointed parent and Takeshi took a gulp from his drink.

Ando eventually sat down next to Umino, carefully avoiding Takeshi's eyes. He managed to stay put on his chair for about two minutes, before he shot up with a fake grin plastered on his face.

"Next round is on me, I'll go get it."

Mamoru looked down at his still more or less full beer, but Ando didn't take the hint and rushed over to the bar.

It was Hiromasa who followed him.

"What the fuck were you thinking, Ando? Having your mate's girlfriend staying over night without even letting him know?" The taller man leaned onto the bar, attracting several appreciative glances from a group of woman sitting nearby.

"It's not as if Min and I were doing the nasty, Hiromasa. I needed a friend, she knew it, she cared, she stayed, she helped. Nothing to get your knickers in a twist over. I wouldn't take her from Takeshi, and by the way: Give the girl some credit. She wouldn't allow me to take her from him even if I wanted to, which I emphatically don't."

"You have other friends, too. And no one minds if they stay over night."

"Oh, so you hurling insults at me before you even know what is going on is friendly behavi-?"

Hiromasa interrupted him, his brown eyes hard and his jaw set.

"I know what's going on. Makoto told me, and the way I see it, you made two, possibly three people miserable in a remarkably short amount of time."

"Three?"

"Rei joined us for dinner yesterday evening."

Ando took on a feverish appearance. His eyes began to glimmer, but at the same time, all the colour drained from his face. His fingers reached inside his jacket and pulled out the empty pack of cigarettes, shaking it maniacally as if that would cause it to to miraculously replenish itself.

"How is she?"

Every trace of defiance or humour was gone from his voice, and he almost sounded broken. Suddenly no longer angry, Hiromasa patted him on the back, an expression of pity on his face.

"Not good, but the girls are taking care of her."

He picked up the drinks the journalist had ordered and carried them over to their table. A battered Ando followed him, sat down and cast his eyes to the floor. Mamoru and Takeshi exchanged worried glances as the night progressed and Ando's mouth remained firmly shut. He didn't drink, he didn't speak, he did nothing.

Misery loves company, so when the men finally left the pub, it was the likeliest and the unlikeliest of persons who fell in step next to the blonde shitennou.

The two of them marched in silence, unable to speak despite sharing so much.

Hiromasa, Umino and Mamoru walked ahead, resisting the temptation to turn around and see how exactly the two of them were working this out. A small part of Umino still hoped that Takeshi would just break Ando's nose, but unless Ando said something particularly stupid, he knew that it just wasn't going to happen.

***

Minako knew that the boys were meeting tonight, because Ami had been her usual thoughtful self and let her know. Still, she felt that everything depended on herself and Takeshi spending as much time with each other as possible right now in order to dig themselves out of this mess she had created, so when his keys turned in the lock and he entered his penthouse, she was there.

She sat on his bed, startling him when he entered.

"I don't think we arranged to meet tonight, Minako".

His voice was stern, but she knew that he was not upset to see her sitting in the middle of his bed, a novel clutched in her sweaty palms.

"We didn't."

He disappeared into the bathroom without acknowledging her any further and when he came back, he was in his perfectly pressed pyjamas, those she would have loved to mock endlessly, but didn't dare to. As soon as he had set his alarm clock, he turned out the light and slid under the covers.

"Good night."

She responded in kind and hesitated only for a moment before she inched closer to him and placed a hand on his stomach, brushing past the fabric and hunting for his skin. A minute later, her whole body followed as she snuggled close. He remained rigid as a board.

"Takeshi, please. Don't be mad."

"I'm not."

Their voices seemed to resonate in the dark room.

***

His eyes opened, and he immediately noticed that were Minako was supposed to be, a bright yellow post-it stuck to the pillow.

It read: "Tonight at my place. -M"

How she had managed to sneak out so quietly that it hadn't caused him to wake up, he didn't know.

***

Hiromasa's workspace was wonderful. There was beautiful and more or less finished furniture all over the space and several drawings stuck to the brick walls. The table that served both as a counter and as his desk held three framed pictures, one of a laughing Makoto, one of a merry bunch of tall people who all had brown curly hair and a faded one of a small boy with a basset hound. The walls went up many metres, giving the space much air and light, as the whole ceiling was one giant window.

The high-heel clad girl in the middle of it seemed completely out of place. Minako had just waltzed in and started to look at several of his pieces, completely ignoring the fact that Hiromasa was trying his best to be angry with her.

"Minako, I'm sorry, but I don't have any time for you right now."

She waved him off impatiently.

"You have time, you just don't want to have time because you think I'm cheating on your friend with your other friend, which is a completely ridiculous insinuation. But since this is between Takeshi and me anyway, you should really try to crack a smile now and say something like 'oh Minako, what a pleasant surprise'. And then I'll smile as well and we can get down to business."

Dumbstruck, he looked at her rummaging through his stuff and inquired disbelievingly: "Business?"

"Yes Hiro, business. I need a table. Well, a desk, really. Large enough so that really tall people can work on it comfortably. But not too large, because it needs to fit into my flat and it's not as if that is a big empty space because contrary to other people, I do have pretty and decorative things, lots of them, actually. Oh and that being said, and I want a pretty desk, no glass or metal. Glass desk are ugly and pretentious. I want a wooden one, with a drawer or two! And then I need a chair to go with it. Wood as well. And maybe a plush cushion."

She had said of all this rather quickly, her big eyes imploring him to give her what she wanted. Which was a desk, strangely enough. According to Makoto, Minako didn't really study and she had always hated desks. If she ever did something that resembled homework, she did it lying down. But as a furniture designer, Hiromasa already had a few ideas as to what would look nice in Minako's small, cluttered home and so he led her into the back of his storage room, where a cherry wood desk with a matching chair was waiting for its new owner. Her long fingers stroked the velvety wood, and he knew that it was sold.

Wood shavings covered the floor, and the sunlight piercing through the large window showed that lots and lots of dust was dancing in the air.

"I'll take it. Can you deliver it to my place?"

"Sure, it'll be there tomorrow afternoon."

Minako turned to look at him.

"Actually, I need it today. Now, to be precise."

Rolling his eyes, the tall man called his delivery guy.

Minako followed him, rummaging through her spacious bag and finally finding her credit card. Putting it on the Hiromasa's desk, she picked up each of the pictures and examined them. He really was a family person.

"Who's the boy?", she enquired and when no reply came forward, she waved the picture in front of his face. "You can't ignore me, I've done nothing wrong! Well, at least not something you know of and really, ignoring me has never caused me to shut up and go away, you know?"

Sighing, Hiromasa picked up the credit card and ran it through the machine.

"Minako, what is it that you want from me? I've sold you a desk and a chair, but I'm not going to make nice chit-chat with you. It's not going to happen. By the way, you do know that my furniture is rather expensive, don't you? This is not IKEA."

He plucked the picture from her hands and put it back on its coveted spot.

Flicking her hair over her shoulder, she fixed him with an exasperated look.

"First of all, I want you to be civil and that means that you have to talk to me. I would never cheat on Takeshi, but someone had to care of Ando and that someone just happened to have had to be me. End of story, end of discussion. Secondly, I don't care how much that stupid desk cost, because my dear, I'm quite loaded."

Hearing his piece insulted like that caused the designer to knit his eyebrows together and his arms to cross.

"Why are you loaded? You're a student! And it's not just about whether you sleep with Ando or not, it's about you not caring for Takeshi in the same you care for your friends. And that is BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT!"

He had raised his voice while speaking and actually wound up shouting at the surprised looking girl.

"I'm loaded because I was smart enough to turn myself into a brand when I was just 13 years old. Sailor V? Rings a bell? Good. So now that we've settled why I don't have to go to IKEA, but can afford to buy something expensive that really, I have no use for at all, we can leave that chapter behind and come to the juicy bits. Takeshi means just as much to me as my friends do, just as much. Not more, because that's impossible, but just as much and that's a lot. While things between him and I are not smooth sailing, we are far from over and this is why I've just bought a fucking desk, when I don't even have enough bloody space to have it in my flat, but hey, whatever makes him happy. I'm trying my best to make things okay between him and I and mark my words Hiromasa, I will not have you judge me while I do that!"

They glared at each other for a while, none of them willing or able to give in.

Eventually, Hiromasa handed her the receipt.

"That picture? It's me and my dog. His name was Henry, and he lived to the ripe old age of 15. Minako, you had your friends. I had my family and a dog. Takeshi was lonely -completely so- before all of us came back and if you make him regret that he's let you into his life, I promise that I will never so much as greet you again and I don't care that your Makoto's friend. Is that understood?"

She swallowed.

"Yes, it is. And now get that stupid table into my flat so that I can see him smile again."

***

Takeshi had actually left the office fairly early for his standards. It was just past seven as made his way down the hall leading to Minako's flat, and when he pushed the door open, it bumped into something soft and refused to open wide enough to let him in.

That soft thing was Minako, who gave off an undignified yelp and a curse that was most certainly not lady-like.

"Takeshi! I hadn't expected you just yet, hang on, I'll let you in."

The doors was shut in his face, and he heard some rumbling and a few further choice words, before it opened again.

"Sorry, I'm rearranging furniture."

Her small hall was cluttered. The ancient armchair, the sideboard and a coffee table fought for supremacy, but the coffee table had already lost this war. One of its legs was broken off and lay on the floor.

"I can see that.", he grumbled as he pushed himself through the small opening, closed the door and then had to actually climb over the armchair to enter the living-room. Her smile was apologetic, but not ashamed as she followed him and took the briefcase out of his hands and threw it on the couch.

"Tadaa!"

He needed a moment to figure out what it was he supposed to be looking at before he saw that the spot on which the armchair normally stood was now occupied by a desk. On it lay several new pencils, a ruler, a flower-shaped rubber, and some of his own drawings. Also, there was a small figure, a cheap replica of the Pritzker Prize.

Worrying her hands, Minako waited for a reaction. She had planned it very differently, everything was supposed to be finished and tidy when he got home (including herself), but he had been earlier than expected and thus burst into the middle of the chaos.

"The desk was actually supposed to go in the bedroom, in the little corner by the window, but then you couldn't get to your side of the bed unless you climbed over it and I know that you wouldn't have liked that, so I thought I'd put it here. I also bought a lamp, it's somewhere in the kitchen."

And because things between them were so awkward, because he knew that the desk was her way of saying sorry and showing him that she cared, because she looked so proud at having found something she knew he would like, but also because an ocean of memories stood between them, his voice was gruff as he answered, his back still turned to her.

"Thank you."

Shedding coat, blazer and tie, he walked over the couch, opened his briefcase, took out some papers and sat down at the first desk Minako Aino had ever bought.

***

She had disappeared in her bedroom a minute later, stubbornly wiping the tears from her face and quickly splashing some water in her face so that he wouldn't be able to tell she had been crying later on. Stupidly, she had hoped for a very different reaction, one that included his rare but charming smile or at the very least sex on that superfluous thing, but him just sitting down and getting busy with his silly papers was not what she had had in mind when the idea had come to her early this morning.

Once she was satisfied that she looked perfectly happy and decidedly not weepy, she tried to shove the armchair into her bedroom, but the cumbersome thing just refused to move. It was stuck in the door frame. Giving it a good kick, it still remained put and she felt herself growing hotter with exertion.

"Damn it", she muttered under her breath and started another attempt with renewed vigour. Several kicks followed, but the furniture didn't budge.

Takeshi shook his head and chuckled. He had watched her antics for a good five minutes and his mood had lightened considerably. If Minako would have had any idea how funny she looked, she would have hurled the Venus chain at the poor troublesome piece of furniture. Rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, he joined her in her quest and together, they eventually managed to move it, but both were covered in sweat by the time they were finished.

He smiled at her, almost reaching over to stroke some hair out of her face, but then thought better of it. "Why don't you shower first? I'll see if there is something on TV we can watch in the meantime."

A hurt expression manifested on her face, but she made no move to go the bathroom. Instead she bent down and picked the broken leg of the coffee table up, carrying it into her kitchen and returning with glue.

"I didn't mean it. About you not having a right to talk to me about loyalty.", she said quietly and began to fumble with the piece of wood in her hands. Plonking herself on the hardwood floor, she began to apply lavish amounts of sticky white glue to the table and then proceeded to attach the leg back to it.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

Her eyes immediately fixed themselves on his, a look of incredulity in them.

"It's not nothing. It was mean, really mean, and I shouldn't have said it. You are wonderful, and you don't deserve to have something like this hurled at you. Sorry."

Her insistence touched him.

"You have every right to question my loyalty after all that I've done."

His smile didn't reach his eyes, and the kiss he placed on the top of her head made her feel even worse. So far, she had fixed nothing but the stupid coffee table and that had not even been on her list of things to fix for the day. Defeated, she finally went into her bathroom to shower all by herself.

***

Across town, a happier couple enjoyed dinner.

"Just so you know, I shouted at Minako today."

"Because of Takeshi?"

"Yeah..."

"Hmm. This lasagne is really good, which spices did you use?" Makoto took another bite of the dish, delight etched into her features.

"You did hear what I just said, didn't you?" Hiromasa put down his fork and leaned over to his girlfriend, gently tugging her ear.

"Yes, you shouted at Minako." He tugged at the other ear, as if he were checking them for functionality. The brunette giggled and placed a sound kiss on his lips.

"Oh, I'm not angry about that. She needs it every once in a while. I almost did it myself yesterday, but in a still not quite established shop full of customers, that's not a particularly good idea. Do you think she listened to you?"

His trademark grin appeared, and he began to dig into the food again.

"Hell yeah."

***

Miss Fukuda was not happy.

The rude young man was in her Mr. Nakamura's office again, unannounced to boot. Just like last time, he had walked in without so much as asking her whether her boss was in a meeting or otherwise occupied. Really, really rude. Well, at he least he looked like death warmed up, so that was something, she though viciously.

***

Minako had spent the day in university and later with Rei. Ami had been there as well, quietly studying and subtly watching out for the miko.

Before Minako had even shed her jacket, Rei was standing in front of her, her mesmerising eyes full of questions.

"I haven't spoken to him, but I send him a text and I suppose we will meet tomorrow for coffee or something and then I'll let you know how he's doing." She nudged her friend, a small gesture of comfort that had next to no effect. The raven-haired beauty just walked back over to her bed and sat down, at the same time the saddest and the prettiest girl Minako had ever seen. Her sorrow was written all over her face, she looked fragile in a way she never had before and it seemed as if her temper had all but extinguished. Ami dropped her book and flanked Rei's right, while Minako sat down on on her left.

One day, Minako would just drag Ando here, lock them in the temple and not let them out until both were happy and healed. One day, she would do just that. Just not today.

***

_He stood on a battlefield and blood was dripping off his sword and onto the already sullied ground. _

_His opponent had been strong, but not a match for him. The fight lasted less than ten minutes and before he knew it, the King of Venus was decapitated and dead on the ground. His crown lay in the dirt, just as his kingdom did._

Takeshi woke up only to find Minako sitting next to him, the lights on and a book in her hands.

"Bad dream?"

He nodded, hiding his eyes behind his hands as if he were shielding them from the light, but actually hiding them from her until he had assumed control of his facial expression again. If she only knew how much her eyes looked like those of the man who had been her father so long ago.

He heard the sound of the book slam shut and suddenly felt the lithe blonde crawling on top of him. The room was bathed in blissful darkness again, so his hands were free to roam over her body. They hadn't slept with each other since he had found her in Ando's bed and he missed being close to her. Still, this was hardly the right moment.

She seemed to disagree and simply ignored his initial reluctance. Her hands travelled through his hair, her lips softly pressed themselves against his and her body just ground itself against him in a way that made it hard for him to breathe, let alone to remain aloof.

Swiftly rolling them over, she found herself flat on her back and it was not long before her nightclothes were nothing but an undignified heap on the floor.

***

The next morning saw Takeshi up early, which was a very usual event and making breakfast, which wasn't. He never had any breakfast, so when the smell of scrambled eggs and coffee wafted through the penthouse, Minako thought she still had to be dreaming.

Feeling quite hungry, she got up and quickly dressed herself in one of Takeshi's starched shirts and made her way into his kitchen. The dining room table was already laid out, and a suit wearing Takeshi just brought over some strawberries and set them next to her designated seat. He was rewarded with a brilliant smile and the sight of a delightedly munching girl.

He waited until she was between bites before speaking.

"Ando was in my office yesterday."

The mug she had been bringing to her lips was stopped short of reaching its goal. Unsure as to where this was going, she put it back down on the glassy table, hating how loud that sounded in the world that had suddenly turned so still.

"He will go back to New York for a week or two, meet his editor, calm down. He asked me it if I would be fine with him wanting to take you. He was very considerate, and I told him that the decision was entirely up to you, but that I wouldn't make a fuss either way."

Her plate was pushed back, as her appetite had disappeared into nothingness.

"Is this what the breakfast is about?"

"Yes."

Feeling completely unable to deal with the situation, she fumbled with the hem of his shirt, unintentionally exposing even more of her legs. Takeshi just looked the other way, this was about talking and not about carnal instincts.

"Are you in a hurry?", she asked very quietly.

Her question took him by surprise, he had expected her to delve right into the subject at hand.

"No, I don't have to be in the office until ten."

Pushing the chair back, she got up.

"I'll go and take a quick shower then, if you don't mind. We can talk about it once I'm dressed, if that's okay with you."

Not waiting for confirmation, she disappeared in his bedroom and he heard the shower's door shut only a moment later. Takeshi reached into the pockets of his jacket and pulled the long black velvet box out, absent-mindedly toying with it.

On the table, the food lay untouched.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38 - When it's good, then it's good, it's so good till it goes bad**

A/N: The title comes from the Pink song Sober.

***

Checking his watch, he realised that Minako had been in the shower for over twenty-five minutes and he could still hear the water pounding on the floor. The coffee was long since cold and he doubted that the scrambled eggs would be eaten when she returned. Thus the coffee was poured in the sink, the food was put away, the table was cleaned and once again, it was shining glass without any stories to tell.

Uncharacteristically impatient, Takeshi decided to see what was taking her so long. Opening the door to the bathroom, he saw her sitting on the shower receptor, curled into a small ball of Minako-shaped misery. Sliding the doors open, he crouched down to be on eye level with her.

"Why don't you come out?"

"Because I don't know what I am supposed to do, I just don't know and I can't just go back to sitting at the breakfast table with you unless I have an answer."

"You don't need to decide now." While his voice was brisk, his eyes belied the tone he had taken on. Grabbing one of the white fluffy towels, he held it towards her, not caring that stray drops of water hit his shirt.

Hesitantly, she reached upwards and turned the water off and lifted herself up again. Takeshi mirrored her movements, unfolding his considerable height and only when the towel had been taken from his hand did he leave the bathroom.

***

The two girls sat next to each other on the bench under the weeping willow. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and Minako had jumped at the opportunity to hide her eyes behind gigantic sunglasses. Rei had once told her that it was very hard to read a person if the eyes were not visible, and since the blonde had no intention of letting her know just how complicated things between Takeshi and herself were at the moment, sunglasses were the thing.

The lawn was adorned with the year's first daffodils, greedily growing towards the sun.

Rei's long hair was in a careless braid and while her clothes were usually the picture of understated elegance, they were completely mismatched today. By the look of it, she had just randomly pulled them out of her closet. Minako would be surprised if her friend even managed to put on matching socks.

Noticing that the jumper hung lose on her friend's already slender frame, Minako reached inside her orange bag and rummaged in it for a while before producing a half-eaten chocolate bar.

"Here, eat that."

It was shoved into Rei's hands and even despite the sunglasses, the priestess knew that Minako's eyes had taken on a stubborn look.

Groaning weakly, she unwrapped the candy and took a bite. It tasted stale, but so did everything these days. Forcing a bite down her throat, she put the rest back in the plastic foil and then the jacket of her coat. There it would find itself forgotten, slowly crumbling to pieces in the not too distant future.

"Ando wants to go back to New York for a couple of days and has asked me to join him."

A small part of Minako was proud that she had managed to say it so evenly, without letting the desperation Ando's request had set free inside her shining through. Another part of her wondered what sort of person would hide this much of herself. She was entitled to be selfish, she had a right to step away from this whole mess and sort out her own, but she knew that the decision would eventually be made by someone other than herself.

A few birds flew over and landed right in front of their feet, completely undeterred by the humans' presence. But then Rei was so pale that she looked just like one of those statues across the lawn, Minako noticed. There was the sort of paleness that made pretty women even more beautiful and there was the sort that made them look so otherworldly that it was scary. Rei had transgressed from the former to the latter within days.

"Rei, won't you talk to him? I think it would help both you."

Closing her eyes, she shook her head.

"I can't. Please take care of him for me, I just... I just can't."

A lump formed in Minako's throat and it stayed there for a long time, so the two women just sat next to each other without speaking. Sometimes, it was just easier that way.

***

"Minako, no!"

"What am I supposed to do? Rei is miserable, Ando is miserable, and they've asked me to help. How can I possibly refuse?"

"Do you want to go? Right now? What about Takeshi?"

"He said he'd be fine."

"Oh, great, he said he'd fine. If I accidentally cut off my fingers while chopping up some cucumbers, I will be fine. But I won't be happy."

As an afterthought, the chef added resolutely:

"Also, you are not responsible for Ando's and Rei's happiness. Frankly, you're in too deep already and you have your own stuff to take care of. Let one of the boys go to New York with Ando, but stay put, damn it."

A derisive snort escaped Minako.

"And who do you suggest? Umino perhaps? Because he and Ando are getting along so splendidly right now? Or maybe Hiromasa, who rather shouts at me than help Ando? Or Takeshi, because that would work out just perfectly in light of all that's happened. They could sit down and have a nice long chat about it." Her words were heavily laced with irony, and she felt the now familiar lump rising again. It was too much, it all was, but she had been chosen as a leader more than a millennia ago and as such she had to take care of her own. So New York it was, for Rei's benefit as much as for the journalist who had become so eerily silent. And yet, thinking about Takeshi's stormy green eyes made her question everything.

"You don't have to fix everything yourself. We can take care of Rei and as for Ando... I'm sure he will be fine. He'll get over it." But both women knew he wouldn't. However, only one of them cared for the journalist's well-being as much as she did for her fellow senshi.

Bristling, Minako jumped off the work disc and shot her friend a look of disdain before walking out of the kitchens. The tinkling of the door bell and a slamming sound let Makoto know that the blonde had left the shop.

***

As soon as the last customer had left, Makoto closed the shop without tidying up or doing the till and hailed a cab. The urgency of the situation didn't allow for waiting for the bus. She knew from experience that stupid people did stupid things, and when they did so, they didn't waste any time. Minako was the epitome of this selfless, noble stupidity and it had to stop. Now.

Arriving at the temple minutes later, she got up, raced up the stairs and stormed into Rei's living quarters. They were almost dark, with only one candle illuminating the the room and for a moment, Makoto wondered if Rei was even here. Adamantly, she hit the light switch. Only then, in the cruel light of the light bulbs, did she find the priestess sitting on the floor in the narrow space between couch and coffee table, toying with a white lily.

"You have to tell Minako not to go to New York with Ando."

Bringing the flower to her nose, Rei inhaled its sickly sweet smell before putting it back into the vase. Looking up at Makoto, the expression on her face was enough to break a heart.

"He needs her."

Steeling herself against this picture of unhappiness, Makoto pressed forth.

"And so does Takeshi, and I'm quite sure that Minako hasn't told you about this, but she and Takeshi are struggling and things are not getting easier if she spends just as much time with Ando as she does with her actual boyfriend. Tell her to stay, she will listen to you."

It was then that the most unusual thing happened: Tears formed in Rei's eyes. Makoto had never seen the senshi of fire cry unless it was after a beloved's death at the hands of an enemy and even then did the tears seem to evaporate into thin air as quickly as they came

.

Just as Rei didn't do apologies, Rei didn't cry.

And as much as she hated it, Makoto finally understood why Minako had put herself in the middle of this whole mess. Because her support of the two lost lovers was all that kept them upright.

***

At about the same time in a very different part of the city, another unexpected visitor entered an office with an agenda, but not after charming the secretary into letting him in without so much as an announcing phone call.

"Hey man, how are you?"

Hiromasa leaned casually against the door frame and grinned at Takeshi, who was buried behind a mountain of paper piling up on his desk.

"I'm fine, thank you. What brings you here?" Hearing Hiromasa deep voice in his office was unexpected, but by no means unwelcome.

"I heard about the New York thing and wanted to check in on you."

"How did you hear about that?"

Takeshi immediately slipped on a mask of non-committal politeness, but Hiromasa was not here to pry. Nevertheless, he hated that the older shitennou felt the need to keep his emotions at bay in front of him. He knew that it was just his nature, he had been like this in their past, but it still ruffled his feather ever so slightly.

"Well, you know how these things work. Minako told Makoto, Makoto told me and here I am."

"While I appreciate the sentiment, I think it's Ando that needs a visit, not me."

The architect's voice was resolute, reprimanding and it didn't leave any room for a contradiction. The voice of a leading general. It was also a clear dismissal, one that Hiromasa wisely chose to heed. He knocked against the door frame in a gesture of farewell and left. There was nothing he could do here.

***

When Takeshi left the skyscraper in which his office was located, a whirlwind of golden hair seemed to appear out of nowhere and fell into step beside him. They walked in silence for several blocks, their arms occasionally brushing against one another and the spring air smelled of hope and promises.

Just as they passed Minako's favourite sushi place, she slipped her smaller hand into his, causing an unexpected smile to spread on Takeshi's face. It was strange: they had slept with and next to each other, shared meals and conversations, had expressed exasperation and affection and yet, they had never held hands while walking down a street.

"Are we going to your place or mine?", he inquired after a while.

"Let's go to mine. I even have some food in the fridge and it's not even old curry."

He chuckled, and it was a sound she loved to hear. It warmed her heart, even more so because it was heard so seldom, and she wondered what had happened to the stern man in his past to make him so guarded. Because some things were not to be explained by having been turned into an evil puppet in a war and a life so long past, they were very firmly rooted in this one, but since Takeshi had always played things close to the vest, she was still oblivious to most aspects of his life.

But in this moment, his presence was enough and she needed nothing else from him than the smile he was willing to give her. Tugging gently on his hand, she caused both of them to stand still, facing each other. Above them, the stars twinkled, telling another of their fate. It was one of these perfect moments, those that allowed you to be happy and at the same time grateful for what you have been given.

Her voice was soft as she spoke, but it was nevertheless heavy with sincerity.

"If you want me to stay, I will."

Instead of answering, he pulled her in for a kiss that left her breathless, not because of its ardour, but because of its infinite gentleness. When his lips left hers, she wanted to cry at the loss. She hadn't known that it was possible to be kissed, and she been by no means been a shrinking violet before he had appeared on her door step.

They continued to make their way to her flat, but the thing about perfect moments is that they tend to be over before they've really begun. He had not answered her, she realised belatedly.

"I said that if you want me to stay, I will. Just say the words, and I'll stay." Her voice had taken on an insistent quality, and when he still failed to react, her hand slipped out of his.

Briefly closing his eyes, he shoved his own hands into his pockets.

"As I've told you this morning, I'm fine with whatever decision you make."

Throwing decorum in the wind, she positioned herself right in front of him again, hoping to see another answer in his forest green eyes. She didn't. His guard was up and she had no means to break through it. It was enough to drive her to distraction, and not caring who heard them, she raised her voice and cried out.

"I have always put my duty before you. We've never had a chance! And now, when we can finally be together, you are perfectly at ease with me flying halfway across the planet? I've bought a speaking desk, didn't you hear a word it said?"

His face remained expressionless, and with each second that passed, Minako could feel herself being ripped apart at the seams. It was only one clue, one minuscule hint she needed to make her decision in favour of him, in favour of them, but his eyes gave nothing away. She knew that this was her punishment for slipping and uttering the forbidden name, but it was unusually cruel and it hurt her deeply. She had opened herself up only to be rejected.

Taking a deep breath, the senshi of love attempted to guard herself against the overwhelming despair that had taken a hold over her heart. The rest of the walk home was so silent, they could have gone to a funeral. But since Minako was convinced that they were carrying their relationship to its early grave, she felt that it was quite fitting really.

***

Umino watched Ando pack.

"Do you really think things are magically going to get better if you just up and leave for a while?"

Shoving a stack of books in his suitcase and carelessly throwing a few shirts on top of them, Ando ignored his flatmate.

Umino however was not be deterred. Also, he could tell that the suitcase was never going to close like that, but he had no intention of alerting Ando to that particular detail. Instead, he toyed with a curl of his hair, and watched as more and more articles of clothing were haphazardly put in the piece of luggage. All of them would be full of wrinkles once Ando got to New York, but he knew that pressed clothing was nothing the journalist cared about anyway.

"When you come back, Rei will still not want to talk to you and if you think that things with Takeshi will get better if you take his girlfriend on an extended holiday, you are sorely mistaken."

For a moment Umino was afraid that Ando would break the bottle of cologne he had been about to drop on the ever growing pile, but it just feel into the soft cushion created by the clothes and remained unscathed. Opening a chest of drawers, Ando began to rummage in it, finally finding his passport and the charger for his mobile phone.

"Takeshi knows about it. I've asked him, he's fine with it."

Umino walked over and sat down on Ando's bed, waiting until the journalist was looking at him before theatrically rolling his eyes for full effect.

"You really are stupid."

"Thanks. And now go over to your room and get me something to read on the flight."

Jumping off the bed, Umino left the room and entered his own. He had no intention of sharing his books with Ando, having seen how he treated his own. But he knew that the journalist was prone to sneaking into his room at night when he was sleeping and to just nick whichever tome took his fancy. Turning the key in its lock, Umino's face showed a grim smile. If Ando wanted to do something stupid, then he would at least do it without an interesting read .

***

It was a horrible evening.

They had barely exchanged a word since her outburst and now sat in front of the TV as if everything was okay, when in truth she couldn't even so much as look at him without wanting to succumb to tears. The small screen told them the story of a lie, a soldier and a lost life, but the hauntingly beautiful images seemed to widen the gap between them only further. Minako cursed the day she had bought a sofa that had room for at least six people and thus allowed Takeshi to sit so far away from her that no part of their bodies were even remotely in danger of touching.

At ten o'clock, long before the film had reached its end, Minako got up and disappeared into the bedroom, softly closing the door behind her. A small part of Takeshi wished that she had slammed it. The sound of something heavy hitting the floor didn't alarm him. He knew that it was just the suitcase she kept on top of her wardrobe plummeting to the ground.

***

Two hours later, he followed her. The lights were already out, but he could still see the outline of the suitcase sitting upright on the floor next to the wardrobe. Shedding his clothes and not bothering to put his pyjamas on, he got into bed beside her, pulling her naked form close to him without preamble.

She came willingly, resting her head on his chest, fingers splayed on his broad shoulders. Soon, they were travelling to the sides of his face, over his closed eyelids, over his lips, along the line of his jaw, through his hair. In the darkness, they were free.

Lips met, hands discovered, souls connected. Their movements were painfully slow, but they were drinking each other in, neither ready nor willing to hurry this process. When he finally slid inside her, she held on to him for dear life. They came together, and the wetness on his shoulder told him that she had been crying.

Like the first time they had spent a night together in this life and every other one they had lived, he stole out of her bed before dawn. He put the box he'd been carrying with him for days on the suitcase as he went.

And like the first time, Minako heard his every step booming in her head. Reaching for the mobile phone on her night stand, she dialled the familiar number, not caring that it was that odd time between night and morning and that the person on the other end of the line was probably in deep, liquor induced sleep.

The free line signal tore at her nerves, it was mocking her and she knew it. When he finally picked up, she spoke quickly before her courage stormed out after the man she loved so much.

"Let's take the next flight. I'll meet you at the airport."

***

When Umino woke up sometime after ten, the flat was empty. Ando, his luggage and the lingering smell of suffering and cigarettes were gone.

***

Miss Fukuda knocked briefly and then entered. It was one of the many things that made her proud – that Mr. Nakamura trusted her enough to allow her to enter his office with only the shortest of announcements at all times.

"Sir? A delivery just came for you." Her stubby fingers held a thick cream envelope towards him. Without looking at the forwarder's name on the back of it, he knew immediately who it was from. The subtle smell of vanilla and sunlight left no doubt in his mind that it was from her.

He accepted it with a nod, not sparing his secretary another glance, his manners for once forgotten.

The parchment rustled under his touch as he unfolded it.

Looking through the glass door, Miss Fukuda watched the architect read the letter. It fell to the table once he was finished, and he swiped every piece of paper off the desk in one angry movement. Putting his head in his hands, he was the picture of a broken man.

***

Kneeling in front of the holy fire, head bowed in surrender and prayer, Rei knew that far above her, up in the clear blue sky, her best friend and the love of her life were heading towards the city that never sleeps.

***

"Cancel all appointments for the day, I have some urgent business to take care of."

Before Miss Fukuda had so much as raised her eyes from the memo she was typing, Takeshi Nakamura had already rushed past her, soundly slamming the door behind him as he went.

While she prided herself on her discretion, this was too strange not to uncover it. She had never seen him so much as raise his voice and that man had been in meetings with very annoying people. So her sturdy figure made her way into his office and she gently picked the offending letter up and began to read.

_Takeshi,_

_when you read this I will probably already be up in the air, flying away against my better judgement._

_When I was thirteen years old, I was told that I would never get to be with the one I love, that my love would always be hopeless. Whether I've been told this out of spite or whether it was a genuine premonition, I don't know. But in this very moment, I remembered us for the first time. You were nothing more than a shadow, but the lingering memory of you haunted me more than those words ever did._

_How cruel it was that we met again only to be enemies in a fight I had hoped to have already won. To this day, I regret what happened that night. You should have been given a chance, instead you were killed without so much as the hope of redemption. Words cannot express how sorry I am. I should have known better._

_I want you to know that I have forgiven you for everything that happened in these dark days, but that I can never forgive myself for taking your life. Kunzite, it haunts me in sleep and it tears at me when I look at you. This we share. I can see the guilt on your shoulders, even though it no longer has a place there. You are a good man, and I wish we could be happy._

_For years you have been my silent companion, a fixture in my heart as much as in my mind and now that we finally have a chance to be more, I feel that the world is once again standing between us. I was so hoping that you would tell me to stay, I wanted to prove to you that you mean so much to me by not leaving your side. Ando is my friend and my friend only. There will never be another man in my life but you, I think you know that._

_I know that my words hurt you, and I am deeply sorry for the pain I caused you. I had no right to question your_ _loyalty, and I didn't mean it. I was just lashing out because you can read me so well that my own worries are reflected in your very words. I'm an idiot, I just am._

_What I should have told you, confessed to you is that even before you stepped back into my life as Takeshi, when I thought of Kunzite, I thought of more than bloodshed. I remembered missing you, I remembered watching the Earth for hours, I remember that you loved me. _

_I saw you once in the streets of Tokyo, but I didn't dare approach you. Now I wish that I had, for maybe things between us were different if we would have had more time._

_There are so many things I wish to say to you, but I just don't have it in me. I'm so sorry._

_Please be there when I get back._

_Minako_

Shaking her head, Miss Fukuda put the letter back on the paper covered floor, careful to arrange it just as it lay before her curiosity had gotten the better of her. This Minako was obviously crazy. How could she have killed Mr. Nakamura when he was very much alive? Muttering under her breath about young people and their sordid sense of humour, she sat down at her desk again, her small world in perfect working order.

***

Up in the heavens, Minako looked out of the plane's window, losing herself in the clouds. The sun was piercing them every now and then, but above anything, she saw grey. Grey clouds, an endless grey sky, even the sun's yellow streaks seemed to have been dulled.

She remembered his every touch, and if she just focused hard enough, she could still smell him on her skin. Her fingers clutched the black box he had left on her suitcase, but she couldn't bring herself to open it.

Beside her, Ando had his eyes closed, lost in memories of his own. He was falling apart right in front of her, but she wondered if leaving Tokyo really was the best way to take care of things. Hiding in her flat hadn't helped her, and she doubted that hiding in another country would help him.

Resting her head on Ando's shoulder, she thought of Rei in her temple, of Takeshi behind his protective walls of silence and of Ando so unusually quiet beside her. Minako Aino cried for all of them. Without opening his eyes, the journalist pulled her into an embrace that should have comforted them both, but failed to do so spectacularly.

Asking her to come with him had been a mistake. He realised that now as images of Venus and Kunzite, of Minako and Takeshi flooded his mind. It was a cruel revelation, but he and Rei did not have a monopole on heartbreak.

Gently stroking her back, he whispered what he desperately hoped not be a lie.

"It's all going to be okay, it's all going to be all right."

***

She wasn't here any more.

Her flat was silent. Defeatingly so.

His shoulders sagged as he looked at the desk she had bought for him, finally understanding its message.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39 – Band Aid covers the bullet hole  
**

***

Many people had visited Rei in the past two weeks, but he was a surprise. So much that she actually felt something other than pain for the first time since she had sent Ando away. She felt curiosity.

"Hello Rei."

It was strange, but they hadn't met in this life so far. She knew who he was, of course she did, but the last memory she had of him was that of a man turning his powers on himself so that Sailor Mercury could live. It was this memory that caused her to invite him inside for a cup of tea.

They sat down in the kitchen, because she hadn't been able to step in the white tea room ever since Ando had stormed out of it, leaving so many a part of his soul behind.

"Zoisite."

His smile was shy, and she noticed how boyish he still looked. How innocent. Reincarnation had been good to him.

"I'd rather have you call me Umino, but if it's Zoisite to you, than that's fine as well."

He accepted the tea with a short bow and following her example, sat down at the table, careful to avoid the many stains that adorned its dirty tablecloth. Instinctively, he knew that both the kitchen and its owner normally looked pristine, but had succumbed to the desperate circumstances that seemed to cast a shadow over everything lately.

"Are you here to speak for him?" she inquired in a soft voice.

Adding two sugar cubes to his tea, he slowly stirred the steaming liquid with the silver spoon she had provided. Looking at the priestess, he shook his head.

"No, actually I am here to speak against him."

Her violet orbs fixed themselves on him, prodding him to elaborate. Taking a sip from his tea, he complied. It was hot and strong. Too strong for his liking, but that came with the setting, he supposed. Even in her weakened state, the girl in front of him exuded a power that was already tugging at the corners of his mind, demanding entrance. Raw, sheer power.

"Do you know that Ando and I found each other before we met Mamoru and the others? We moved in with each other, we searched high and low for our fellows and frankly, I do know him a bit better than most people. That is why I know that he has a habit of destroying what he holds dearest."

Unwelcome memories played in her mind, but years of meditation allowed her to keep them at bay. They would however come back when she was defenceless. It seemed like forever ago that sleep had meant rest.

"Takeshi is like a brother to me. Always has been. And I'm not saying this easily, for I have siblings and know what family feels like. What Ando is doing right now is not good. Minako wants to help him, but while she can subdue the misery, she cannot make it go away."

Rei sat a little bit more upright in her chair, tension building in her shoulders. Umino took note of this and smiled sympathically, but otherwise offered her no comfort.

"Takeshi is a good man, he deserves to be happy. But his happiness is barred by Minako taking care of Ando the way she does. I'm not saying that they shouldn't be friends, I'm saying that to have her take care of him for you is wrong. You are hurting my friend, and yours by extension. So let Ando be, this is his grave to dig himself out of. If you want him taken care of in this time of need, it speaks for you, but don't make other people do it because you yourself are not able to."

He pushed the cup back on its saucer and the boyish innocence she had admired earlier was gone. His blue eyes were steely and unforgiving, and had it been any other shitennou, she would have made him pay for being so bold as to come to her to say the things he did. But his words were true, all of them. And he had sacrificed himself, even when almost nothing of his soul had been left. He had a right to speak up and he made use of that.

She didn't hear his goodbye, didn't watch him leave.

Walking into the room that held the holy fire, she sank down on her knees. The images overwhelmed her, floating in her soul without barriers to reign them in.

_Takeshi in his cold penthouse, a glass of clear liquid in his hand._

_Minako's eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses as she shoved the chocolate in her hands._

_Ando stumbling down the steps leading away from the shrine._

Bending forward, she rested her forehead on the wooden floor, wondering how to make the world right again without losing herself in the process.

***

The university's canteen was crowded, as it always was during lunchtime. Two girls carried their trays over to a free table that Usagi had spotted from the distance. She sped up and plonked down on one of the chairs seconds before it was claimed by another equally hungry student. Some sauce had spilled over the edge of her plate and now met the napkin, colouring it in a light maroon. Sending an apologetic smile his way, Ami joined the blonde, even though her movements were far more graceful as she sat down.

Eyeing her dish with more scrutiny than it deserved, Usagi began to eat, a look of disdain on her face. Barely pausing to swallow, she picked up the conversation again.

"Urgh, why is that everything they sell here either tastes salty or greasy? Anyway, you were just telling me about the zoo? Hey, not that I don't approve, but what were doing in the zoo in the middle of the week? It's quite unusual for you to do something so wonderfully pointless."

Ami put her fork back on the table, a hesitant look in her eyes. Her sharp mind suddenly grasped the fact that none of them had alerted the odango blonde to the most recent developments. Therefore her voice was thoughtful as she answered, weighing each word carefully.

"Umino was so upset about Ando and Minako leaving for New York, and you know that aside from the others and us, he has not found any friends in Tokyo yet, so I thought it would cheer him up."

Usagi just munched on, speaking between bites. The med student waited.

"Aww, Ami. I'm so happy for you two. It's a good thing that you spend time with him, you're smart enough as it is, so you don't need to study as much as you do. Which animals did you like best? Personally, I have a thing for flaming- … hang on. What did you say about Minako going to New York?"

The cutlery Usagi had been holding dropped on the tablet, sending little drops of sauce splashing on her black jumper.

Smiling uncertainly, Ami offered her friend her own napkin.

***

They stayed at a hotel, in adjourning rooms with a door connecting them. The walls were thin, so she heard him tossing and turning in his bed, occasionally murmuring and crying out. He sounded like a wounded animal, and Minako wondered what exactly Rei had shown him to evoke a reaction so strong.

Unable to stand it any longer, the girl got up, crossed the room and stepped through the door, her own blankets trailing behind her. As she settled herself next to her friend and stroked his sweaty forehead, she closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle.

***

It was late afternoon in Tokyo and pony-tails swishing behind here, Usagi Chiba walked through the hospital's gates in search of her husband. She found him doing the rounds, and a smile appeared on her face as she beheld his lean form in the doctor's overall he wore with so much pride. She also noticed him wearing his glasses; she had always found that they made him even more attractive than he already was. Waiting until his colleague finished his sentence, she drummed her long fingers on the wall, barely able to control her impatience.

"Mamoru!"

The familiar voice caused him to turn and surprise was evident on his features.

"Usa! What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

Always the protectors, she mused and rewarded his worry with a brief kiss. He made an apologetic gesture to his colleagues, indicating that they should go on without him.

"I'm fine, but there's something you need to take care of when you finish work today."

He cocked his head to the side, waiting for her to continue. This had to be important. For one, his wife knew not to come visit him at work unless expressly invited and also because they had planned to have a romantic dinner in their favourite restaurant this evening and she was apparently willing to give that up.

"You have to go to Takeshi and talk to him. Minako and Ando have gone to New York together, I'm certain it's perfectly harmless, but I think it would be good for Takeshi to know that he's not alone. Go watch a football game or something. Eat burgers, drink bear. Or whatever it is you do when you have a men's night out. But don't invite Umino or Hiromasa. They can join you the next time, but not today."

Mamoru briefly considered her words, nodded, pressed a brief kiss on Usagi's soft lips and made his way back to the team. His wife really was quite something.

***

"How old are you precisely?"

"As in years, months, days precisely?"

They walked down Times Square together and looked perfectly at ease amidst the tourists, the hurried business people, the teenagers. Grinning, she looked around. There was something about the city that drew her to it and were it not for all she had left behind in Tokyo, she might have seriously considered moving here.

"There is a bar I used to hang out all the time, and I thought we could go there after the meeting with my editor and get hellishly drunk, because there is no doubt in my mind that he will spend at least half of the time I'm in that building shouting at me. Loudly. So are you old enough to join the drinking fun later on?"

"While I'm very flattered that you are not sure that I'm twenty-one yet, I'll have to decline. I don't drink."

"You don't drink? Surely you mean that you don't drink and drive, which won't be a problem seeing how we can just take a cab or take the subw-"

"No Ando, I'm serious. I don't drink. Well, I do drink on New Year's, but otherwise, alcohol and Minako don't go together. However, I'll happily laugh at you when you're a drunken mess and puke in the streets. Hey, I even promise to take pictures."

Reaching up, she ruffled his strawberry blonde curls, only to find herself tickled in defence.

Muttering to himself in mock despair, Ando shook his head.

"The woman doesn't drink."

***

Two tall man left a bar together, one swaying ever so slightly more than the other, but both very very drunk. The fresh night air failed to sober them as they had indulged in too many overpriced drinks Mamoru had ordered. His plan had been to get Takeshi so sloshed that he would share his worries, but apparently, there wasn't enough liquor in Tokyo to loosen the silver-haired man's tongue.

***

Six days into their visit, Ando entered her room and flopped theatrically onto her bed, his head coming to rest in her lap. He wisely refrained from commenting on the countless shopping bags littering the thick blue carpet.

"Bad news."

"Define bad. Apocalypse bad? Splinter in your finger bad? Syphilis bad?"

"My parents found out that I'm in town and invited us over for dinner bad. So something between syphilis and apocalypse."

***

Ando's parents lived in a town house near Central Park.

A town house that looked like a palace from the inside.

A palace with an ice queen and king ruling over a staff consisting of frightened people and one ugly poodle.

"So Minako, what is it that you do?"

Plastering a fake smile on her face, she turned to Ando's mother, but not before kicking her friend against the shins under the table. This evening was already turning into one nightmarish experience, and Ando himself had apparently decided that getting drunk as quickly as possible was the way to go about it. He was on his second Martini already, and they had just taken their seats at the long dining table.

"I'm a student at Tokyo University. I read literature."

"What an interesting choice."

Mrs. Tanaka's smile was equally fake as she took a sip of her Chardonnay. Above them, the heavy chandelier twinkled, reflecting the light in thousand crystals, but nevertheless failing to make the room any more welcoming than Satan's private playground. The senshi suddenly understood why Ando had next to no contact to his family.

A maid brought them the first course, a thick soup in a decidedly unappealing colour. Hers and Ando's eyes met over the table, and Minako concentrated very hard on a mental image of the poodle sitting on her seat, delightedly slurping the soup before belching loudly.

When the journalist choked on his drink, she grinned, knowing that the little trick had worked. There were these times when being psychic didn't exactly work to your advantage.

Ando's father, a very thin man in his late fifties, looked at the dish with the same apprehension in his face that his son was experiencing at being in this house again. Completely ignoring the polite conversation his wife had been trying to establish, he boomed across the long table as if there were any danger that if he spoke in a normal volume, Ando would not hear him.

"Still doing that higgledy-piggledy writing you call a career?"

"No, I actually do piggledy-higgledy writing now, which I'm sure you can see is a huge improvement."

A chuckle escaped Minako, only to be punished with two sets of disapproving, cold eyes focusing on her. She shrunk a little in her seat and wondered why the ground never swallowed her when she really wanted it to.

"My dear girl", Ando's father began, pronouncing the words in a way that made clear that she was anything but, "my son could have been a lawyer, a judge, a doctor. And yet he chose to throw his education in the wind and run after rumours. My only son, a journalist! I do not see what is so funny about that."

Incredulity manifested on the senshi's face. Mr. Tanaka had said journalist just as her own mother would have said prostitute and Mrs. Aino was a very conservative woman, which was one reason why Minako would have never considered telling her that she was in fact Sailor Venus. The skirt was simply too shot.

Soft piano music played in the background, tastefully supporting the conversation. It reminded her of Takeshi, causing her to temporarily lose herself in thoughts that had no place in the house of parents of whichever kind.

Mrs. Tanaka, not noticing that Minako had zoned out, just nodded gravely, silently supporting her husband in his claim that his son had wasted his life away. Ando in the meantime threw his most charming grin in the general direction of the maid and pointed to his almost empty glass.

The poodle trodded over and draped itself across his feet, a most unwelcome weight. Impatiently, the shitennou tried to shoo the animal away. When that failed, he gave him a little kick his mother thankfully didn't see because her attention was focused on her husband who was still droning on about the many mistakes Ando had made in this life, causing his son to snort derisively. _The mistakes I made in this life? What about those in my other lives? Oh yeah, I'm a reborn warrior, I somehow forgot to mention that. Another brandy, father?_

"And then he just leaves for Tokyo, and we have to hear from his editor that he has spontaneously decided to move there. I hope you realise that with luring him to stay with you in Japan, you have done Ando and this family a great disservice." Snapping back into reality, Minako blushed before knitting her eyebrows together. Was that man serious? She crossed her arms in front of her chest, not caring that it made her look like an insolent little girl. There weren't many people whose respect she craved and other than Ando, none of them were in this room.

"Luring him to stay in Japan with me? You do realise that I'm not his g-?"

Downing the rest of his Martini in one gulp, followed by smacking his lips, Ando grinned half-heartedly and cut across her.

"In all fairness, since I only ever visit you on Christmas, what difference does it make that I moved?"

Things only went downhill from there. Ando got snarkier with each passing minute, his mother got colder, his father got louder and suddenly, Minako had an epiphany.

"What on earth am I doing here? I don't have to be here.", she abruptly blurted out, her voice clear and cutting as glass, thus interrupting the beginning of a shouting match between father and son. Her eyes met Mrs. Tanaka's in surprising compliance. The woman had thought the same, albeit for very different reasons. After all, this outspoken girl obviously held an atrocious influence on her already out-of-control son!

Throwing her napkin on the table, Minako got up, placed a quick kiss on Ando's cheek and walked out without looking back. It felt good.

***

It had taken her quite long to find a phone booth, her rush of adrenaline steadily disappearing and thus causing her to question whether this really was a good idea. The thought of their last love-making prompted her not to falter, it being all the incentive she needed.

The battery of her mobile phone was obviously empty, the stupid thing didn't so much as turn as make a beep as she pressed the on-button repeatedly. But luckily, the number she needed was embedded in her mind, so armed with a small armada of silver coins, she disappeared behind the glass doors of the phone booth, her fingers quickly hitting the buttons. She mixed the number up twice before finally getting it right.

After ten painfully long seconds, the free line signal sounded in her ears. Minako had never been good with time zones, so she had no idea whether it was day or night or noon in Tokyo, but she simply hoped that it was a time during which Takeshi was at home. Ando had not said a word as to when they would go home, but if she didn't hear the deep, gruff voice of Takeshi soon, she knew she would lose it and hail the next cab to drive her to the JFK airport regardless of whether or not this journey had been a success in the first place.

After listening to the signal for over four minutes, she had to admit that he wasn't home. And since he hated leaving messages on machines, he didn't have one, so there wasn't even a curt clip of his voice recorded somewhere on a machine to calm her. Cursing, Minako collected her change and left the narrow cabin.

***

Takeshi was sitting at his desk, working the night away. Every once in a while, he would look up at the small replica of the Pritzker Prize she had bought for him and think of blonde curls entangled in his hands. Behind him, the red sofa stood unused without its owner there, very much like a sad clown in an empty circus.

***

Hours later, Ando walked into her room. They had stopped knocking on the connecting door the second day in the city, since they didn't have any precious secrets to protect anyway.

"My parents. Wonderful, heart-warming people, aren't they?"

He joined the girl under the covers and stole the pillow from under her head.

"You dolt, give it back!"

Instead, Ando propped it up under his own head and continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"Do you want to know what they came up with after you left?"

"Actually, I'm not sure I do. After all, I _lured_ you to Tokyo with my womanly wiles. I can't believe that you would let them believe I was your girlfriend, you jerky moron!"

"Loveable, incredible, endearing, jerky moron, if you please."

She snorted and tore the covers away from him, bundling them up around herself with a pout firmly set in her face.

"They would like to offer you-" Seeing her disgruntled expression, he grinned and bit down on his bottom lip, trying to keep the laughter in. "You really want to hear this, believe me. They would like to offer you an internship in a friend's law firm so that you can make something of your life and convince me to do the same."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Min, have you seen the poodle?"

Groaning, she pulled the sheets over her head.

***

When Ando had finally gone to his own bed after they had spend at least an hour mocking his parents, she watched the moulded ceiling.

Her own sleep stubbornly refused to come and unlike Ando, she would not down two sleeping pills with a gulp of brandy. She knew that her insomnia stemmed from missing Takeshi. Without his broad shape next to her, the night was not made for sleeping, it was made for worrying. In the darkness, she could see the outline of the small box sitting on the mahogany dresser and since it was the only thing of his she had in this strange but wonderful city, she climbed out of bed, turned on one of the many lamps dotted around the room and picked it up.

A part of her had hoped that Takeshi would have called her after reading the letter, but her phone had remained silent for days, even when fully charged. Cradling the box in her hands, fingers tracing over the soft velvet, she felt his absence as intense and real as physical pain. How she had lived so long without him was a mystery to her. He was an essential part of her life, just as essential as the girls she fought alongside and the princess she had sworn to protect. Within a few short months, he had become her oxygen and it was true: suffocating was the most painful death imaginable.

Finally, she snapped the box open. The first thing she noticed was a small, folded piece of paper that fell towards her, finally freed from its confines. She picked it up and unfolded it, her heart beating frantically in her chest. It was one of his drawings, more so, it was the design for a house. A house with lots of French windows. Above the house, a few words were scribbled in the architect's unruly handwriting.

_For us. Will be finished before Christmas._

The world stopped turning and the paper fell from her shaking hands, coming to rest on the carpet beside her naked, cold feet.

How long she had sat motionless, she could not tell, but when she picked up the box once more, the sun had risen over New York, bathing the city in orange light. The case still held two more items. A slender key that would one day open the door to the house he was building for them and a long silver necklace with an intricately carved locket dangling on it. It didn't hold any pictures or any engraving, but it didn't need to. She had understood.

_Morning was about to arrive, so Kunzite grudgingly entangled himself from Aphrodite's embrace._

_When she spoke up, her voice was not sleepy but wistful and he knew that just like himself, she had not spend even so much as one minute sleeping._

"_I will miss you."_

_He turned, pulling her into one more embrace before steeling himself for the looming departure._

_His eyes were on her as he dressed himself, and just before he finally tore himself away to return to Earth's growing darkness, he decided to leave her a token of his affection. It was the only piece of jewellery he owned – a heavy silver locket, given to him by his grandfather when he was still nothing more than a silly boy. He carried it with him as a lucky charm, but felt that it should stay here with her._

_Putting it in her hand, he smiled, his green eyes telling her more about his feelings than words ever could. The door closed behind him just as she put it around her slender neck, vowing to never take it off again._

_None of them knew that their next meeting would take place on a battlefield._

A knock on the door brought her back to the here and now. The empty here and the lonely now.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40 - Postcards from the edge of the world**

A/N: The title is inspired by a Roswell fanfiction I read years ago. The author's name is Elisabeth and the fic was titled "Postcards from the edge".

***

Minako had learnt many things during her time in New York.

She had learnt that she wanted to be a writer.

She had learnt where to get the best coffee.

She had learnt that her own parents were wonderful people compared to Ando's.

She had learnt to cross a street regardless of what the traffic lights said.

She had learnt to spend 300 dollars on a pair of shoes without flinching.

She had learnt that she didn't mind living in a hotel.

She had learnt that some nightmares never went away.

She had learnt that Ando was drinking more than was good for him.

She had learnt to take away the sleeping pills he more or less secretly carried in his pockets and flush them down the toilet.

She had learnt to cry without making a noise.

She had learnt that two weeks could very quickly turn into two months.

***

The miko sat on a bench near the shrine, a brightly coloured postcard clutched in her hands. The handwriting was familiar and she didn't need to look at the signature to know who had send it. Few words were scribbled on the back, but their meaning was manifold. They told her about homesickness, about tears and cries, about not knowing what to do and about hoping to return soon.

All it said was:

"Please forgive him - Minako."

***

They had just returned from a party of an old friend's of his and Ando was drunk. Very much so. He had barely made it into the bathroom before she heard him retching. Scrunching up her nose, she opened the mini-bar and grabbed a bottle of water. After rummaging in a chest of drawers for a minute, she produced a pack of aspirin. After all, this was not the first time. Carrying the life-saving supplies into the bathroom, she sat down next to her friend and wondered whether she would react the same way were their positions reversed.

"I hurt her, I was a monster", he croaked out before succumbing to the nausea again. He was punishing himself, but he had no idea that seeing him like this hurt Minako just as much. Stroking his back in soothing motions, she felt so much older than her actual years.

***

A couple walked down the sweets aisle in a supermarket together just before the shop closed.

Their conversation was easy, their laughter pleasant and the way they looked at each other spoke of more than just affection. Also, they were completely oblivious to the time and the staff waiting for them to finally complete their purchase and allow them to call it a day which -given their considerate natures- was very unusual.

"Shall we get some gummy bears?"

Umino nodded and bent down to retrieve a family pack. Meeting Ami's raised eyebrows, he grinned.

"What? We are watching a Lord of the Rings marathon. That's easily nine hours and you want me to get the small package?"

The student shook her head, but the smile on her face said very clearly that she didn't mind his sweet tooth at all.

"Minako sent me some candy, too. And since I haven't eaten it yet, I'm willing to share."

Running a hand through his wavy hair, Umino couldn't hide the apprehension that appeared on his face. Careful not to meet his girlfriend's observant eyes, he looked at the selection of sweets in his hands instead.

"She's sending you candy?"

"And weekly postcards. Ando is not-"

Looking at her intently, he interrupted her.

"Ami, sorry, but I don't care what Ando is or is not at the moment. Because frankly, he is supposed to be here in Tokyo and not hiding in New York. And I can't believe that your friend is supporting him in his cowardice when she has Takeshi waiting for her. Now, do you want popcorn?"

Seeing the tension in his shoulders and the steel in his eyes, she sighed. Umino flew off the handle whenever Ando was mentioned, but the senshi knew that it had just as much to do with the fact that he missed his flatmate horribly (not that this was something he would ever admit) as with being angry on Takeshi's behalf.

"Yes please."

***

"Ando?"

"Hmm."

"How are you?"

"Fine."

"Fine fine or I pretend to be fine when all I want to do is cower in a dark corner fine?"

They sat outside a small café, drinking iced lattes that had begun to taste sour in her mouth.

Ando shrugged his shoulders in way of response, and played with the red straw that decorated the plastic cup. The sun was shining on their blonde heads, and Minako could already smell the first traces of spring's end and summer's beginning in the fresh air.

She absent-mindedly began to play with the locket resting on her chest. She hadn't taken it off ever since she had first put it on, regardless of everything else that happened around her. Ando hadn't noticed the sudden appearance of the jewellery, but that she was grateful for. She knew that she would break the minute she would have to talk about the box and its content, and since her friend needed her to be strong, she was trying her best to hold it together.

There had been no phone calls, no letters, no emails, nothing. She wondered if he had stopped the building of their house once he realised that she had gone to New York but even thinking about it tore at the façade of cheeriness she had erected for Ando's sake.

Pushing her milkshake over to him, she leaned back in her chair and watched the people passing by.

***

His call had come as a complete surprise. They did get along very well, but then again, everyone was drawn to his friendly and easy-going personality. Yet they had never met without Makoto or Umino present and since his days of being a student were long since gone, Hiromasa's presence on campus was somewhat unconventional.

"I feel like I am cheating on her by just being here", he joked and made an encompassing gesture around the café that was decidedly not his girlfriend's. Still uncertain as to the purpose of the whole secrecy, Ami remained quiet but granted the man a genuine smile. Hiromasa was nervous, very much so. His hands were never still, and neither was his mouth. After they had placed their orders, he jumped into a long, rambling recount of the past weekend, during which he had finally introduced Makoto to his beloved grandparents.

"And naturally, they adore her. She brought them cake, so even if they hadn't taken to her as a person, the cake would have made them change their mind. She was so nervous, even though I told her a million times that they would take to her immediately. Really good cake. Chocolate. Or something." The waitress brought them the two cups of espresso they had ordered and Hiromasa downed his in one gulp, promptly burning his tongue. She didn't think she had seen him this fidgety since the day he had met Mamoru again.

Leaning her head to the side, she decided to put him out of his misery.

"Hiromasa, please do not think me rude, but I cannot help feeling that this meeting has a very specific reason. One that you haven't broached yet. So why don't you just tell me?"

He began to nod his head vigorously, causing his chestnut curls to bounce. The tall man was incapable of subtle movements, but it was an endearing quality. Instead of speaking, he pulled something out of the pockets of his jeans and put it on the table between them.

"This was my grandmother's. Do you think Makoto will like it?"

Ami picked up the small golden ring with cautious fingers and held it closer to her face. It was rather modest, a small diamond its only decoration, but she knew instantly that Makoto would love it all the more for its simplicity.

The tall man on the chair opposite her began to speak again, drumming his fingers on the table and his feet on the ground. Ami wondered whether or not he would have a coronary before asking her friend to marry him.

"If you think she won't like it, I'll go and buy her a new one, a fancier one with big stones and stuff, but I thought she might appreciate that this one has a story already, a happy one at that."

Most carefully, Ami placed the ring back on the table. She was beaming as she spoke.

"Makoto will love it, Hiromasa."

The huge sigh of relief he made caused her to openly laugh, the sound fitting in seamlessly into the warm spring day.

***

It was the first time he had seen her sunny demeanour slip since they had arrived and it was actually quite painful to watch. They had gone to Jekyll & Hyde's, a horror themed restaurant that should have been exactly to her taste, but she hadn't smiled all evening. Her eyes cast to the plate, she had pushed the food around without eating it and even when a man in a Godzilla costume had approached them with free desserts, she had barely managed to crack a smile.

Back in the hotel, she excused herself, saying that she wanted to go take a bath. Both of them knew it was a lie, but he felt that he owed her a bit of privacy.

When she hadn't left the bathroom three hours later, he knocked and pushed the door open, not surprised to find it unlocked. She sat on the floor, an ashtray beside her and dried tears on her face. Noticing that she had run out of cigarettes, he offered her one of his.

Together, they smoked the night away, each of them haunted by their own demons.

***

"What is it?"

"Another postcard from Minako. They've been to Disney Land."

Thinking of Takeshi holed up in his office, Mamoru cursed and threw the innocent piece of paper a disgruntled glance before taking it from his wife's hands and putting it into the bin.

***

Another week had passed and things were still not looking up. They had taken a walk in Central Park this morning and a woman with long black hair had walked in front of them. Ando had paled visibly, but couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

Minako could have told him that Rei's hair was most certainly more silky than the stranger's, but she linked her arm in his instead and began to chat about the fantastic book shop she had discovered. He didn't hear a word she said.

***

Makoto wanted to go to Yokohama. And she wanted to do so in a car.

The only problem was that the senshi had never acquired a driver's license, let alone a car, something Hiromasa had teased her about for weeks upon weeks. He had insisted that every business woman needed a car, but Makoto had shrugged him off and simply hired a delivery guy for the odd cakes that were not picked up directly in the shop.

So she had asked Takeshi for a favour, secrecy and three hours of his time on a Sunday and the architect had complied without asking any questions. Presently, they sat in his comfortable car, a gleaming silver BMW X5, and headed south.

"Thanks for helping me, this is very nice of you. I know how busy you are."

Ever since Minako and Ando had gone to New York, he had taken to working on the weekends as well. Makoto had visited him in his office twice shortly after their departure, and marvelled at the chaos that surrounded him. She had always assumed that he would have a very tidy office, but that was so far from the truth that it was laughable. Calling it creative chaos was an euphemism if she ever heard one, but she was too polite to comment on it.

"You're welcome, but since you invite me over for dinner at least once a week, I am more than happy to help you." It had been Hiromasa's idea, and Makoto had supported it fully. So every Wednesday evening, Takeshi stood in front of their door at eight sharp, always carrying a bottle of expensive wine in his hands. Sometimes they were joined by Umino and Ami, sometimes by Usagi and Mamoru, and sometimes it was just the three of them, but Makoto knew that if it weren't for their weekly meeting, Takeshi wouldn't see anyone but his colleagues all week long.

"May I ask what is leading you to Yokohama?"

Their eyes met in the rear view mirror and he was surprised to see her grinning so broadly.

"I'm picking up a gift for Hiromasa."

***

"My editor hates me."

"Hmm. Isn't that sort of his job?"

"Have you been shopping again?"

"Yep."

"More shoes?"

"Yep."

"You're addicted."

"No, I'm bored," she joked, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

***

After checking three times that he in fact not lost the ring, Hiromasa finally entered their flat. His palms were already sweaty and he repeatedly swiped them on his jeans. Makoto had spent the morning doing something with the girls, so he had taken a long walk with Umino to assemble his courage. That the philosopher had been laughing at him half of the time hadn't helped and Hiro had eventually tried to push him in a pond they had walked by, but the man had an annoyingly perfect sense of balance.

Clearing his throat, he walked down the hall and into their leaving room, where his girlfriend was sitting on the couch reading a book she hastily threw under the cushions when she heard him. She wasn't quick enough though and while he didn't see the cover, he did see one of the pages cheekily peeking out from under its hiding spot.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing under the pillows?"

She grinned and got up, giving him a brief kiss before cocking her head and answering, her voice a lot more sing-songy that it usually was.

"And especially nothing in the bathroom."

Remembering the temporarily forgotten ring in his pocket, he nodded and shifted from one foot to the other. He took her hand and tried to lead her back to the sofa. Now was the time. Breathing in, he thought of the moment he had seen her painting the shop, of the first time he had kissed her, of the first time they had spend a night with each other, of the first time they ha-

"Hmm, and I was under the impression that I wasn't overly subtle," she quipped, refusing to sit down and interrupting his thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

"I am **not** hiding anything in the bathroom." She looked up at him, and winked twice.

"Well, good. Now Mako, please take a seat, there's this certain something I've been meaning to ta-"

Shaking her head in the most exasperated manner, she walked past him and not letting go of his hand, pulled him down the hall to the bathroom.

"Mako, really, can't this wait?"

"No, it can't!" she called over her shoulder, giving him another radiant smile that made him weak in the knees.

Pushing the bathroom door open, she turned to him in order to watch his response. His eyes widened. The whole floor was covered in newspapers and in the middle of it sat a big-eared, soft-furred puppy with a red bow around its neck.

"Is that a basset hound?"

Makoto giggled.

"I picked him up from a breeder in Yokohama today, Takeshi was so kind as to drive me. It's a pity that the little lad rewarded that kindness with a puddle on his leather seats."

Hiromasa walked over to the tiny dog, holding out his hand so that it could sniff it before gently picking it up.

"You've bought us a dog."

He spoke quietly as he scratched the puppy behind its ears.

Her grin got even wider as she saw the tall man cradling the the tiny dog. Bull's eye, she thought to herself and stepped closer, placing her arm around his waist.

"You like him then?"

His eyes meet hers, a strange expression in them. He put the basset hound in her arms, and fished for something in his pockets.

"Hiro? Are you okay?"

He shook his head.

"Hiro? Why are you looking at me like that? I thought you wanted to have a dog again?"

Still shaking his head, he beckoned to her to be silent, a fiercely loving expression his face.

He got down on one knee and suddenly realisation dawned on her.

"Oh my god. You're not, are you? Hiro?"

He held the ring up to her, the one she had seen on his grandmother's slim finger a little over two weeks ago.

"Do you want to marry me?"

Her answer was a sea of happy tears, a vigorous nod and a bruising kiss. For the first time since her parents died, she had a family again and she had never felt so lucky.

***

She spent every night the same way.

First she would try to sleep, then she would turn the lights on and look at the sketch he had given her, then she would try to sleep again only to hear her friend's cries and howls in the adjourning room.

Why it was that particular night she decided that enough was enough, she couldn't say.

Jumping out of her bed, she stormed into Ando's room and gripping his shoulders, began to shake him rather violently.

"Wake up. Ando! Wake up! Oh for the love of god, don't you hear me?"

When his blue eyes blinked open and beheld the upset girl almost on top of him, reality had him back.

"Min, what is it?" He knew that it must have been the sounds of his haunted sleep that disrupted her own rest, but she normally just slipped under the covers beside him, knowing that her sheer presence would allow him to escape the nightmares at least for a little while.

"Ando, listen to me and listen to me carefully, because I have no intention of saying this again. We've been here for months now, and you're not feeling better. Not a bit. You're still crying in your sleep, you drink to much- don't you dare deny it, you daft idiot, you are a bottomless pit and I've had it. Do you hear me? I've had it! This is not working." Even in the relative darkness of the room, he could see her eyes blazing. Tousling his curls, he sat up a bit and stared at the enraged girl.

"You're even more miserable here than you were in Tokyo and I'm not waiting for you to understand that any longer. It doesn't matter where you are, you are without _her."_

They had stopped speaking about Rei as soon as Minako had realised that every time the priestess' name was mentioned, Ando decided to get sloshed. But apparently the rules had been changed, for the senshi continued; desperation, pleading, hope and anger mixing in her voice, giving it an edge it hadn't had before.

"So I don't care about how hopeless you perceive this to be, we are going home. And since you just can't seem to make up your mind as to when our return is supposed to take place, let me take over here. We're going home. Tomorrow. I'll go book the flight."

Bouncing off of his mattress, she shot out of his room, blonde hair angrily swishing behind her.

Exhaling deeply, Ando got up and walked over to the mini-bar, only to find it empty.

***

Hiromasa and Makoto had invited them all over for a generous Sunday brunch. The table was laden with foods of all sorts, ranging from pancakes to sausages to fruit to almost everything else one could wish for. Even Rei had been convinced to leave the temple for once and she sat next to Usagi, who was just now dropping a pancake on her friend's empty plate with a stern expression on her face.

Umino and Ami just waited for the bomb to drop. Both of them knew what it was being celebrated with this lavish brunch and exchanged hushed words every now and then, followed by grins and giggles.

Takeshi and Mamoru were deep in a conversation about the new wing of the hospital that was still under construction even though it should have been finished weeks ago and Takeshi explained to his future king that nothing in this world could hurry building labourers.

The still unnamed pet had been gushed over by the girls and Takeshi had tried his best not to imagine the doubtlessly gleeful reaction Minako would have had upon seeing the small dog with its ears so long that they almost trailed on the ground when it walked.

***

Soft footfalls sounded through the hall, and very carefully, a key was turned in its look. The door was closed almost noiselessly and the secret visitor put her suitcase to the ground and slipped out of her sandals. Making her way straight into his bedroom, her heart pounded violently in her chest and breathing became difficult. The first rays of sunlight were falling through the windows, and she breathed in deeply as she beheld his sleeping form. Sneaking to the large bed on which he was resting, she knew that she should have returned weeks ago.

Not quite sure how to go about things, she gingerly sat down on the edge of the mattress and watched him sleep for a while.

***

In another part of town, Ando was less subtle about his return. Especially since it was a return he had not initiated and was not too happy about in the first place.

He slammed the door extra hard, knowing that Umino was fully capable of sleeping through an earthquake. When the snoring continued, Ando walked into the kitchen and pulled out some pots from the pantry, and dropped them to the floor, making sure that one fell on top of the other so that they made lots and lots of noise. Enough noise to wake the dead, let alone his flatmate. Lighting a cigarette, he grinned as he heard the snoring stop abruptly and seconds later, a pyjama-clad Umino stumbled into the kitchen, a confused expression on his face.

"Hi. I'm back."

***

At six o'clock, his shrill alarm began beeping and thus the new week began. Without opening his eyes, he turned it off. The brunch had turned into tea and the tea in turn had led to a dinner to further celebrate the engagement. The dinner had been followed by drinks and Takeshi had gladly toasted to the couple time and again. Makoto and Hiromasa had been beaming all day long and Takeshi was genuinely happy for them.

Only when he stepped out of the shower and got dressed, did he notice that something was off. Decidedly so. Not bothering to knot his tie, he stepped into the hall and followed his nose.

His penthouse smelled of freshly brewed coffee and something else. Something burned. He hurried his steps and rushed into the kitchen.

She stood in front of the sink, her slender back to him. A fuming pan was standing on the stove, but was being completely neglected as she held her aching fingers under the jet of cold water.

Upon hearing his steps, she whipped around, uncertainty playing on her features.

"I wanted to make pancakes. But...you know... and then I... but... I can't really cook..." She gulped and watched his face, waiting for him to react. "I'm here." His guard was up and she couldn't see through it.

Takeshi saw the locket dangling on her neck and decided that it had simply been too long.

Too long since he had seen her, too long since he had held her, too long that he had heard her voice.

Moving closer in measured steps, he brought her hand up to his face and examined the burns. Her eyes were brimming with tears that had nothing to do with the hot pan and everything to do with him being so close.

When he slowly kissed the pain away, and his eyes met hers, she saw the raw emotion swirling in his green orbs.  
She vowed never to leave again.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41: Send me a letter, I'll send you my heart**

A/N: The overall title "Airmail" for this fic comes from Jeffrey Eugenides' absolutely stunning collection of short stories. I should have mentioned this earlier. Also, this is the last chapter, only the epilogue left to go.

***

She didn't know how kissing her burnt finger tips had turned into this, but then she didn't have her wits about her to think properly.

The world consisted of no more than his green eyes locked with her blue ones in a never-ending dance of soul searching, his hands roaming over her body and hers shedding him of his bothersome suit in an attempt to make up for lost time. Their last lovemaking had been tender and slow.

This one was not. The kitchen floor was cold, but had she been able to articulate the thought, she would have said that she quite liked the contrast of the icy marble and his heated flesh. It reminded her of stolen moments in a palace's darkened hallways that had been the light at the end of the gloomy tunnel that had been her life.

Luckily, things were different now. Entwining her hands in the silver curtain of his hair, she brought her hips up to meet his. He replied fervently, holding her more tightly and thus pressing the locket that rested between her breasts into his own skin, where it began to leave a purple mark, one he would carry with pride.

When the movement of her hips turned frantic and his breathing more ragged, they lived more in the present than they ever had before.

***

"You know that I'm not going to let you pick out a single piece of furniture, right?"

He snorted and pulled her closer. They still lay on the cool kitchen floor, hair fanned out beneath them. Fighting hard not to break into a huge smile, she continued in a mock-serious voice while revelling in the feeling of his skin under her fingers.

"And we're taking my couch. Yours is too small, and I hate that when it's hot, your skin sticks to the leather and when you get up, it makes this horrible smacking sound."

She felt it before she heard it. Rumbling deep inside him, his roaring laugh broke free. Beaming, Minako propped herself up on her elbows and watched him laugh unguardedly for the first time in this life. It was a wonderful sight to behold and just as it had in the Silver Millennium, it made her fall for him even harder.

***

The flames leapt up and almost touched the high wooden ceiling. They were throwing shadows on the walls that flickered just as much as their fiery counterparts. Past, present and future were playing out in the blazing light and the priestess kneeling in front of it felt her soul ache as she watched the countless possibilities of what might have been. Eventually, everything blended into one image. The fire was trying to tell her something and the priestess already knew what it was. It was the choice she had made, the choice she should have made and the one she would make in the future unless she suddenly found a way to cheat destiny.

The room became unbearably hot and for the first time, she had to leave the holy place in order to breathe again. Her refuge had become her prison.

***

"Must you always get into a huff? Come on, show me that charming smile of yours. You know you want to."

Umino bit down on his toothbrush. Hard.

He had escaped to the bathroom once he had seen his lost flatmate in the kitchen, lest he should strangle him for waking him in such a crude fashion. He just hadn't expected Ando to actually have the nerve to follow him.

"And by the way, our flat is a pig sty! I thought you were quite the good little housekeeper. I have to say I'm very disappointed. If I had known what to expect back here, I think I would have stayed in New York a while longer. Do you even have any clean clothes left? Because if you don't, it means that I have to do my own laundry, which I most certainly hadn't planned on. "

Taking the toothbrush from his mouth, Umino wondered if he could use it to knock Ando unconscious, but decided that he needed something with more weight and force. Like a baseball bat. Or a very heavy golf club. Or Hiromasa. _Hiromasa..._ Inspiration apparent in his puffy eyes, he dropped the toothbrush in the sink, brushed past the sneering journalist and began to search for the phone under a stack of two months old newspapers that had never been read.

***

Like a painter, he enjoyed working when the light was best, which was between seven and eleven o'clock, so Hiromasa was already busily chopping away at a block of old English oak, forming it into a leg for a commissioned dining table. He and Makoto had gotten up together, sharing a shower that had turned into something else altogether as soon as he had seen the water trickling down her full breasts. It had cut the time for breakfast short, but it had been worth it. Oh, it had been worth it.

Hearing his phone ring, he checked his watch. Ten past eight, not quite opening hours. He nevertheless made his way to the front of his workspace and answered the call, thoughts still with the way she had arched against him.

Under the desk, the still nameless puppy dreamt of lush green meadows and cheeky rabbits, kicking and growling in his sleep.

Clearing his throat and trying to focus, he picked up the receiver.

"Obuchi Furniture, what can I do for you?"

"You can come by and kill Ando for me."

The image of his agile fiancée was replaced by that of a smirking blond man.

Not bothering to reply, he slammed the receiver down and scooped the tiny dog out of its sleep and up in his arms. The table was forgotten as he stormed out of the building, nearly neglecting to lock up behind him.

***

"So you're back."

"You do realise that you have a an alien with ridiculously long ears attached to your arm, right? And it's licking your hand. My, that is disgusting."

Umino appeared behind Ando's sneering form and took the puppy from Hiromasa's arms, giving him a look that clearly said: _Your turn, buddy._ Meeting Ando's eyes, he took another moment to glare at him before disappearing in the living room and leaving the two older men in the hall.

A puppy was the most he could handle before ten o'clock, and until an apocalypse knocked on his door, this wasn't going to change, shitennou or not.

"Not a word from you from. Not one. If it hadn't been for Minako's infuriating postcards, we wouldn't have even known you were alive. Seriously, Ando, running away to New York? That was your answer?" the furniture designer asked heatedly as soon as Umino had retreated, his volatile temper already dangerously close to flaring.

"Did you have a better one?"

Ando lit another cigarette the second he had tossed the burnt down stump into Umino's used coffee cup from god knows when. The place really was a mess. There was dirty crockery everywhere, even in their hall. The chaos Minako had created in the hotel room using countless shopping bags and shoes suddenly seemed not so much as even worth mentioning in comparison.

"How about not taking your friend's girlfriend to another country, leaving your own behind and generally fucking it all up?"

Ando flinched.

"Mine? I don't have a girl."

Frowning, Hiromasa stepped into the living room, Ando tagging behind him seemingly unfazed, but in fact not fooling anyone, least of all himself. He didn't have a girl, he wouldn't ever have a girl because the only one he cared about in that way had made herself completely unattainable. And since he loved her more than life itself, Ando would rather wipe himself off the face of the earth than cause her any further pain by making foolish attempts to win her affection again. No, that ship had sailed.

The puppy rested comfortably on Umino's stomach and both dog and man were snoring lightly while being sprawled out on the couch. Running a hand through his chestnut curls, Hiromasa wondered how it was humanly possible to fall asleep so quickly, but Ando's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Does the alien have a name already? I'd suggest Alf. Gonzo, Guerin or Zaphod Beeblebrox might work as well. Or Spock."

Hiromasa sat down on the armchair after shoving some dirty shirts off it and Ando leaned himself against the wall. Hiromasa briefly wondered if he could convince Makoto to name their pet after a stoic Vulcan and came to the conclusion that it wasn't very likely. Still, he would try.

Ando laughed softly as he followed his friend's thinking, but fell silent once Hiromasa turned to look at him, face full of disappointment.

"You really shouldn't have gone."

Laughing meant normalcy and that had yet to arrive in this tangled web they called life.

"Are you better?"

This time Hiromasa's deep baritone spoke of worry and care, but when no witty reply came forth, the answer was painfully clear to both of them.

The snoring had stopped, but Umino's eyes remained closed. Feigning sleep, the philosopher still felt that a good punch would help to knock some sense and perspective into Ando, but unfortunately, Hiromasa didn't seem to share the sentiment.

So three men and one puppy sat in a messy living room, in a dead silence that should have no place between them.

***

They had been driving a little over twenty minutes and both of them were getting more nervous by each kilometre they left behind. It was rather fascinating, Minako mused. Takeshi's anxiety was very well contained and she wondered if she would be able to tell what he was feeling if she didn't have memories of a different life to fall back on. Only the way he gripped the steering wheel a little too hard gave him away. Her own agitation was written on her face, visible in the drumming of her fingers against the window pane, her unusual quietness and the way she tensed and flexed her legs every other minute.

When they finally arrived at the construction site, Minako breathed in deeply before jumping out of the car and walking over to what would soon be her new home. Takeshi trailed her, hands hidden in the pockets of his trousers. Standing right behind her, he followed her eyes. It wasn't much yet, but the basic outline was visible. The building labourers (who were woefully absent) had begun to erect the front wall, but other than that it was clay, bricks and dirt only. He almost rested his chin on the top of her head, but decided against it and waited for her reaction with a patience he didn't really possess.

Birds flew past in the sky above them, merrily chirping, courting each other and completely unaware of what transpired beneath them. It was one of spring's most brilliant days.

When she finally turned around, Takeshi held his breath, unsure of what he would see in her eyes. In his pockets, his hands clenched into fists. Her face was serious, very much so and while it was not the first time he had seen her like this, he didn't particularly care to remember the last. It was when she had implored him to tell her to stay and he had all but sent her away. One of the birds sat down on the lonely wall, observing the humans in the vain hope of some breadcrumbs.

"It's brilliant."

His shoulders sagged a little in relief, a movement not missed by the senshi. Her hands reached up and cupped his face.

"To think that you did this for us..." Her breath caught in her throat and she immediately cast her eyes on the muddy ground beneath them. "And I left the country, I left you behind."

Taking her hands from his face and into his larger ones, he shook his head.

"You asked me, Minako. And we both know that I never told you to stay."

Her smile was feeble.

"Still."

Looking at the future he never so much as dared to dream about, he placed a kiss on her temple.

"We're fine."

He would make sure that the house would be ready come autumn. They had wasted enough time. Starting tomorrow, this construction site would burst with diligent labourers. He would take care of the woman who loved him despite his sins. He would give her everything.

***

Makoto was busy doing the till as she heard the tinkling of the silver bell. Apparently, the big sign in the window with the opening hours spelled out on it had been missed by that particular customer. Sighing, she called out without lifting her eyes from the bundle of cash in her hand. It was an added benefit of being a senshi, not needing to worry about common criminals. She could count her money out on the streets if she wanted to and anyone who desired to do her harm would find himself shocked into next week. Literally.

"I'm sorry, I'm just about to close!"

"What a pity. I was hoping for some cake, because they don't make it this good in New York."

"Minako!"

The blonde grinned briefly and made her way over to the counter and thus to the chef behind it, her steps bouncy. Just when she outstretched her arms to envelop Makoto into a long overdue hug, she felt herself being pushed away. Her friend's expression was thunderous; there was just no other word for it.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? STAYING FOR NEARLY THREE MONTHS? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO RETURN AFTER TWO WEEKS! TWO WEEKS!"

Blinking, Minako looked at the irate brunette. Makoto's cheeks were flushed, her eyes were blazing and she was shouting at her. Unbelievable! Putting her hands on her hip, the blonde retorted quickly.

"Why are you so angry? I'm back, aren't I?"

"I'm ANGRY because Takeshi was missing you so dreadfully that even I could read it on his face and you know that he doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve! He worked seven days a week just to keep himself busy and what are you doing? Sending postcards, buying shoes and flying to fucking Disney Land! Really, Minako, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Someone had to take care of Ando!"

"But not you! I told you not to go!"

"Takeshi didn't!"

Momentarily stumped, Makoto forgot that she was supposed to shout at her friend in order to punish her for the prolonged disappearance.

"What do you mean he didn't?"

"I told him that if he wanted me to stay, I would. But he didn't. Not that it matters now, because he and I, we're good, we really are."

Snorting in disbelief, the brunette fumbled with the money on the counter, shoving it back into the till without counting it first. She had never been able to focus on numbers when she was angry, which explained a terrifyingly bad exam result after a boyfriend had broken up with her over the phone.

"Mako, I send him a letter. He knows how I feel about him. We're moving in together before Christmas. He's building us a house."

"He's not."

You had to give it to Minako, when she smiled, she _smiled_. Everything about and around her lit up and while people unaware of her magical nature would have just shoved it deep in their sub-conscience and filed her away as an unusually pretty girl and left it at that, Makoto knew that this was a sign of true happiness breaking to the surface. She herself had taken on a soft glow during moments of complete contentment, however those moments tended to be of an utterly private nature. But then, Minako had always been more outright about her feelings.

"He is."

She reached for her wallet and took a carefully folded piece of paper out, handing it to Makoto. She could tell by the many creases and wrinkles that it had been looked at very often and judging by the way some of the lines were smudged, they had been traced by loving fingers more than once.

The rest of her rage ebbed away.

Looking down on the drawing, she smiled. Standing in front of her was no longer the source of Takeshi's distress, but her dear friend with whom she wanted to share the news that were already burning on the tip of her tongue.

"I'm engaged."

Minako's shouts of joy could he heard two streets away.

***

The party had been Usagi's idea and she had been insistent. Makoto had tried to tell her that the brunch had been celebration enough, but the delighted blonde wasn't having it. So she had coerced her parents into letting her use their garden for a barbecue, invited Hiromasa's family, all of Makoto's friends from university and naturally the rest of their own tight-knit group. The whole week was spent in preparation for the happy event, but one minor detail had evaded her.

Minako, Mamoru and Umino, who had all been putting up balloons, were fully aware of said detail, but each for their own reasons was not too keen to bring the subject up.

Finally, Mamoru shot Minako an authoritative look, prompting her to speak. But since the future king and the head of his wife's guard had barely exchanged ten words all afternoon long, she wasn't inclined to follow his orders as of now. He had been less than cordial about her return, still resenting that she felt the need to leave with Ando in the first place. And since he couldn't be angry with a broken man, he directed his disapproval at the woman he had left with. Minako threw her long mane over her shoulder and fixed him with a stubborn glare. Realising that the bubbly blonde was too hard a nut to crack, he silently implored his shitennou.

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Umino passed up on the mission as well. He had a constantly drunk Ando at home, that was punishment enough. It had been a little more than a week since he had been woken by the banging of pots, pans and misery and he had yet to see Ando without a cigarette or a bottle of rum.

The balloon Mamoru clutched in hands exploded.

His wife turned to look at him, face full of playful teasing.

"Mamoru, you're supposed to put the balloons up, not play with them! The party is tomorrow, Dr. Chiba, so you need to focus." Giggling to herself, Usagi leafed through a box of party paraphernalia.

Suppressing a groan, Mamoru spoke up. He felt the most prominent to desire to strangle Minako and Umino both, but figured that it wouldn't make things any easier for himself.

"What about Ando and Rei? They can't come both, can they?"

He hated how Usagi's face fell. Suddenly, the party planning was no longer a matter of light-hearted fun and genuine joy and the woman's face reflected this abrupt realisation. Her eyes immediately darted over to Minako, who just shrugged her shoulders, an indecisive expression on her tanned face.

***

Umino stopped before turning the key in the lock.

"Just so you know, it's not really tidy inside."

"You've been to my flat, so what makes you think that I care about laundry or unwashed dishes?"

"It's a bit more than that."

They found Ando sitting on the couch, reading in a heavy book.

"That better not be my mine," Umino snapped immediately.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm being very careful with it. But if you insist, I'll put on gloves while reading."

Not looking up, he turned the page in an exaggerated manner.

Minako chuckled, thus alerting Ando to her presence.

"Hey you. Shouldn't you distract our senior citizen from work?"

"If I tell Takeshi you called him senior citizen, you'll find yourself without fingers to turn the page, so I'd watch my tongue if I were you."

Stepping over several empty pizza boxes, she walked over to the couch and plonked herself down beside him. Minako wrinkled her small nose in disgust as she spotted that the plate on the coffee table was covered with something green and fluffy that looked as if it might come alive any minute now. Umino followed suit and seated himself to the journalist's left side, and Ando wasn't sure whether he liked to be in the middle or not.

"Okay, what's going on?"

It was the shitennou and not the senshi that spoke.

"Usagi is throwing an engagement party for Hiromasa and Makoto. You've been invited, but I doubt you're read your invitation since it's still lying on the kitchen counter unopened."

The book fell to the floor as Ando put his head into his hands. His voice was dull when he spoke.

"And she will be there as well."

Nodding, Umino handed Ando the bottle of rum he had bought on the way to their flat, while Minako went to the kitchen to fruitlessly search for some clean glasses.

***

A very reluctant Umino had been coerced into playing messenger for Usagi and Ando both. He had hoped to have fulfilled his duty by blowing up balloons and bringing booze, but Minako had made it quite clear that this was not the case.

Endowed with two letters (one of which he would have loved to read) he made his way to the temple for the second time in his life. While the girl looked infinitely better groomed than the last time he had seen her, something about her was so off-key that it made his heart contract painfully in his chest. So this was why Ami had taken to studying at the temple rather than in Makoto's café.

Pushing the pain aside and locking it into a hidden corner of his soul, he approached her.

"I've been asked to give these to you. One is an invitation for an engagement party Usagi is throwing in Hiromasa's and Makoto's honour tomorrow. I think she has called you about it already, but here's the invitation."

By not saying who wrote the second letter, Rei knew that it had been Jadeite. She accepted the envelopes from Zoisite's pale, outstretched hand. The shrine was buzzing with people, but the miko was completely disconnected from her surroundings. It was what insomnia did to people.

"Thank you."

He nodded and gave her that half-smile of his again, before retreating and leaving the ghostly woman in her kingdom of unwanted memories behind.

***

_Go to the party and don't worry, I'll stay away. If you want me to go back to New York, I will do so immediately._

_Ando_

_***_

The day of the party had arrived and Minako once again found herself on Ando's couch.

"Ando?"

"Hmm?"

"You smell."

"What?"

"It's the cigarettes, the coffee and the booze. They make you reek."

"You're insane. It's some Venusian thing, like the affinity to wearing very short skirts. No normal nose would find my odour offensive."

"Go shower, you pig."

"I'd rather not."

"Do you want me to stay?"

"No. Go to the party, tell some of the dirty jokes I taught you and make Takeshi blush. Hmm, actually I don't think it's physically possible for him to do so, but maybe you can get him to lift both corners of his mouth. Anyway, go to the party. Nick me some cake and bring it by tomorrow, but for all intents and purposes, go. I'll be fine. Fine-ish. I'll be okay."

She arched her eyebrows in a sceptically and plucked the recently lit cigarette from his fingers, stubbing it out so viciously that not even the filter remained. She wished that Umino were still here, but he had already left to pick up Ami.

"Really Mummy, Kevin is old enough to stay at home alone and I believe that you still need to go home and change into some skimpy party dress."

She pinched him rather violently and got up, stumbling over a stack of magazines and sent them scattering on the floor as she went.

"I can't believe you called me mummy. You hate your mother!" she grumbled as she made her way to the door.

"I was thinking I could get you a poodle for Christmas!" he called after her, a fond smile on his face. She turned to give him her best I'm-a-naturally-born-leader-with-very-efficient-weapons-look before slipping through the door.

As soon as she stepped into the hallway, it fell away and was replaced by a thoughtful expression. Gripping her purse a little tighter, Minako Aino hurried home to her boyfriend.

***

Just before they stepped through the gate, hands entwined, he bent down. The air was filled with the sweet smell of Ikuko Tsukino's prized roses, but the scent of Ami's subtle perfume was nevertheless more prominent and intoxicating to him. He revelled in it.

"You look very pretty tonight."

The whispered words blew a light smile and the hint of a blush on her face.

"Thank you, Umino."

Smoothing her white dress, Ami wondered where this night full of unspoken promises would lead and hoped that it wouldn't end too soon. Already, she was addicted to him and the addiction demanded to be fed. Holding his hand had been a gateway drug.

Upon seeing the couple, Mamoru laughed and Hiromasa handed over a note.

"I was so sure that Takeshi would get here first."

"Not with Minako in tow. She just as bad as Usagi when it comes to time management, so I wouldn't expect them for at least another hour. I told that you wouldn't win this bet."

The two men stepped forward to greet their friends, more than prepared for a fun evening.

***

Being lonely stung, even if it was his choice to find himself isolated tonight. Checking the kitchen clock that was ticking particularly loudly tonight, he realised that she had only been gone for an hour. Ando missed Minako's constant company dreadfully and only now did he realise how much she had done to lighten his mood. But her place was at Takeshi's side now and he couldn't bear the thought of making her unhappy just to avoid being alone with these thoughts once more.

Imagining the happy crowd in a garden decorated with balloons and candles, he poured himself another glass of rum, only to down it in one go and forsake filling it again for taking a deep slug from the bottle itself instead.

Hell, even Umino's sour presence would have cheered him up, but the philosopher had not offered to stay and Ando didn't feel like asking. Even though he knew that Umino would have cancelled and allowed him to hurl offences at him had he just said the word. But very much like Takeshi weeks earlier, he couldn't do it and retreated into silence, knowing full well what it was he was sacrificing.

A murderer didn't deserve to find solace and if the dreams he had every night were any indication, that's exactly what he was. Sometimes he could still smell the blood he had shed, feel it under his nails and see it coating the soles of his shoes. There were moments when he resented walking because his every step was accompanied by the sound of bones crunching under his feet.

At least he had never killed her. It had become his mantra. He had never killed her. Never. Crushed her, but not killed her. It was this thought alone that kept him from jumping off a bridge in an attempt to drown the guilt.

***

Chinese lanterns dangling from the branches, fairy lights slung around the trunks and candles lining the garden path, the Tsukinos' garden had been transformed into something far more serene and beautiful than it had been before.

The many chatting people filling it were the icing on the cake.

It seemed that everyone had followed Usagi's invitation but one, and he was missed by few. Only the shitennou, Mamoru and Minako wished he were here, but all of them agreed that his decision to stay away had been for the best.

A group of people with wavy brown hair surrounded Makoto, but it was a small woman with white locks that took her hand and welcomed her to the family.

"My dear, I'm so happy to see this ring on your finger. You're are very nice girl and I'm delighted that you and Hiromasa found each other."

Grinning, her grandson hugged both women.

"Actually, _I_ found her, Nana. See, the stars led me right to her front porch."

Laughter followed his bold statement and he recounted a (mildly censored) version of how he had seen her in her shop months ago and decided in that moment that she was the one he would marry. The wise eyes of his grandmother shone with pride and knowledge and Makoto wondered if the family Hiromasa had been born into was more special than met the eye. Perhaps her fiance was not the only Obuchi with whom the stars conversed.

Sitting on a bench nearby, Mamoru observed the merry exchange. To think that he had forsaken his friends this happiness a lifetime ago was a thought that didn't sit well with him. Things might have ended differently had he made the right decisions then. They might not have fallen, they might not have succumbed to the darkness that still haunted them today if they had their counterparts to hold onto. Ando might not have to be alone tonight.

It didn't surprise him that it was the leader of his yet inactive guard that interrupted his pensiveness.

"Don't go down the path of what might have been tonight. Just look at them, they are so happy."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Mamoru couldn't believe the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Are you -_you_- seriously telling me not to brood?"

Smirking, Takeshi took a sip of wine.

"Yes."

"Hell has just frozen over."

"I have better things to do than worry on a night like this and so do you."

Remembering that the last time he had tried to get the architect to open up and talk about his feelings had failed spectacularly, Mamoru shoved his hands into his pockets and watched the guests strolling around in his in-laws garden.

"Are things good with you and her?"

"Will a positive answer make you treat her more politely?"

Hating how astute Takeshi's observation skills still were, Mamoru shrugged.

"She shouldn't have gone."

"That's between her and I."

Sensing that Takeshi would rather cut off three to four of his fingers before volunteering to talk about the more or less disastrous relationship he and Minako were entertaining, Mamoru changed the topic ever so slightly.

"From what Hiromasa told me, their little trip did nothing to help Ando."

"I will visit him tomorrow, you are more than welcome to join me."

With that, Takeshi got up. Mamoru noticed that he was the only man wearing a suit.

"Zoisite, Ami told me that you are a philosopher."

Before the blond man had an opportunity to respond, Usagi flashed him a wide smile and tugged Rei away. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow her for a minute." The two women walked down the path and as soon as they were out of earshot, the future queen spoke, her voice as hard and strong as the holy blade that Sailor Venus carried in battle.

"Rei, this is quite enough. Use their modern names, or don't use any at all, but leave the ghosts in the past were they belong."

It was an order, the first one she had ever given and she would make sure that it would be followed.

Colour rising in her cheeks, the senshi of fire fell into an embarrassed silence. Blue eyes bore into her, touching her very core and finally, she yielded. She wouldn't have backed down for anyone but her princess, but Usagi had played her cards well.

"What do you think about Spock?"

"Tell me that I'm not engaged to a trekkie."

"No. Yes. A bit. But I meant it as a name for the pup."

"I thought we could name him Toby. Like Sherlock Holmes' dog? It was Minako's suggestion and I quite like it."

"Toby? Absolutely not, I hate it. That's such a plain name." Makoto decided not to point out that Toby actually sounded quite similar to Henry, which was what Hiromasa had called his first basset hound. The resentment had a different origin: it was because it had been Minako's idea and Hiromasa was still upset with her. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she sighed.

"If we christen him Spock, all the other dogs on the playground will tease him."

After placing a soft kiss on her temple, he watched the puppy run around from one caressing hand to the next, more often than not being rewarded for simply being itself by a slice of grilled meat. His belly would match his ears in terms of size before the night was over. The fond smile on Makoto's face gave him hope and so Hiromasa (sensing victory was now on the cards) proceeded.

"How about a deal? I get to name the dog, you get to name our first child."

"Our first? How many children do you want?"

"I was thinking four. Or five. As many as you want, but more than one."

Looking over to the puppy that was currently being petted by a delighted Ami, Makoto hid her blush in the night.

"Spock it is."

Climbing up a chair, Usagi looked over the crowd. The night had been a success, she couldn't remember when she had last seen Makoto so happy. Hoping that she wouldn't topple and fall, she waved her arms in a bid for attention.

"May I have your attention please?"

The conversations died away and all eyes focused on the blonde that would one day stand on a balcony overlooking a city made out of crystal and glass and charm the whole world into trusting her.

"I would like to propose a toast."

Scanning the crowd until she had found the two people in whose honour this party was held, she cleared her throat. The lovers were sitting on the small bench under the cherry tree, his arm casually slung around her. For the first time, Usagi could imagine Crystal Tokyo as the fairy tale ending it was hailed to be.

"My dearest Makoto, there are no words to express how happy I am that you have found Hiromasa, the man who can give you everything you ever dreamt of and more. You are one of the bravest people I know and I am so proud to be your friend, and you deserve this. Hiromasa, I'm sure you two will be very happy together, you are a good man. To Makoto and Hiromasa!"

The Chinese lanterns' light reflected in the many upheld glasses and bottles, and to hear those they loved and cared about repeat the toast brought tears to Makoto's and a goofy smile to Hiromasa's face. Knowing that it was ungrateful and foolish, Hiromasa still wished that Ando had been there as well, at least because his friend would have been ecstatic to hear that the puppy had actually been named after his favourite character from Star Trek. Imaging Ando's gleeful face, Hiromasa pulled his fiancée closer and emptied his beer.

***

Checking her watch, Minako admired her friend's self-restraint. The party had started almost four hours ago and only now did Rei approach her with silent questions written all over her face. They had met two days after her return, but Rei had not been enquired after Ando, so Minako had kept her mouth firmly shut on the whole subject. But now that he had sent her a letter and stayed at home so that she could celebrate with her friends, things were different. Feeling that this conversation was not intended for everyone to listen to (especially not to Mamoru and Hiromasa who still took turns glaring at her), she flashed Usagi her trademark grin.

"Look Usa, we've run out of champagne. Why don't I fly to the supermarket very quickly and get some more?" Usagi, who had been talking to her father, looked at the dwindling stock of bottles.

"Could you? That would be really nice, you're a doll, thanks!" Kenji frowned, not quite sure whether he liked that his daughter's friends drank so much. But Minako was a very responsible girl and he still remembered the time when his daughter had barely left her room, upset over some boy and the other blonde had appeared daily to cheer her up. How good it was that Mamoru had eventually come along. The proud father couldn't imagine a better match for his only daughter. If only Usagi's other friend would find the same happiness one day. Kenji thought that the priestess looked quite forlorn.

"Hey Rei, want to come with? I could use a hand."

The woman nodded and grabbed her purse. The girls made their way to the gate, almost having reached it before Minako turned around, jogged down the garden path back to Takeshi who was talking to Umino and Ami and placed a kiss on his unsuspecting cheek.

"Rei and I are going to get some more champagne, we'll be back in a bit."

Umino beamed, Ami giggled and Takeshi smiled. Telling him where she went to was only a little gesture, a simple act of consideration, but they all knew it meant the world to these two who had just gotten their act together. It was a sign of how far they had come.

Grinning, Minako sprinted away.

***

He had fallen asleep on the living-room floor, not even bothering to get up and heave himself on the couch. The number of empty bottles next to him would have made his father proud.

The first knock went by unnoticed, the second one raised him from the dead, the third caused him to sit up and rub his eyes, the fourth prompted him to get up and stumble towards the door and the fifth one was followed by the now familiar assault of images flooding and invading his mind. They were the same ones that haunted him in his fitful sleep; the ones that had made him flee the temple's holy ground and empty his stomach near the bus stop. It were these images that had convinced him to leave the country. These images that made sleeping pills his friends.

Ando didn't know whether he wanted to rip the door open or whether he wanted to enforce it with a thick layer of heavy bricks, barricading himself inside without hope for escape. But when had he ever been able to resist her?

Only when the knocking stopped did he open it for an inch to meet a pair of eyes like no other. Deep violet, so dark that they almost seemed black, but he knew better. Silence reigned.

Slowly, he pulled the door one further inch open to, bringing her almost translucent white face into full view. She had never looked more like a child of the Moon than now, but it was an observation he would never share. But he wouldn't forget it either. Her hands held a bottle of champagne that was neither intended for this occasion nor for this flat.

The motion was almost imperceptible and no other man would have caught it, but she nodded her head in mute acknowledgement of his return before turning and walking away. She nodded to encourage him to live.

When he saw her disappearing around the hall's corner, the urge to do something overwhelmed him, fuelled by loneliness, alcohol and sheer desperation.

"I don't know how to live without you!" he shouted after her, his voice raw.

It echoed in the empty space.

Ando was broken beyond repair, and both of them knew that he had been for longer than humanity could even remember existing. The hallway finally swallowed his words and spit silence towards him. Alone with his misery, he closed the door.

Slumped against the wall behind the corner, tears spilled from her eyes, dangling on her charcoal lashes, dropping on the floor, seeping into the carpet.

She cried for the man that had condemned himself to loneliness so that she wouldn't have to. She cried for the man that couldn't stand silence and yet chose it so that she could hear her friend's voices.

She cried for herself, because everything was going to change and all along, she had been powerless to stop it. In the face of destiny, one couldn't make choices. After a few minutes, she left, not bothering to wipe the tears from her face.

Minako waited for her outside, arms full of green bottles with golden labels. Together, they returned to a party that had lost its appeal for both of them.

***

Morning was only a few hours away, but it mattered little to the woman saying her farewell to the past that had dominated her life for far too long.

The fire licked and clawed at the parchment, curling it and smouldering it quickly. It greedily ate it up until Ando's letter was nothing more but black ashes to be remembered in the darkness. The brief message wasn't all that would burn tonight. The flames were further fuelled by a red skirt and a white blouse, the uniform of a miko.

Tomorrow was a new day and Rei decided that she didn't want to know what it would bring. Burning both her love and her vocation was her final attempt to tip the scales.


	42. Epilogue A year in the life of

**June**

"Do we have to do this?"

"Stop whining, this is fun, you'll like it."

Umino suddenly felt like his eight year old self again. His older cousins had always been into sports and had graciously tried to include little Umino and his two left feet into their wild and fast games. That little Umino would have much rather climbed a tree and hidden behind its among its leafy branches with a book in his hands had not been something they understood or cared for. He was their family and family did things together. Watching Hiromasa's broad back and hearing his enthusiastic laughter made him remember these carefree days of childhood. His green eyes looked around the park, finding one tree that he would very much like to spend the afternoon on, especially with the book he had hidden in the back pocket of his sweatpants. He was no longer as clumsy as he had been as a child, but ball games were still beyond him.

Hiromasa was already kicking the black and white ball, happy to have an outlet for his strength and energy and watching him wearily, Umino already knew that he would return home covered in bruises. Well, at least Ami could fix him. Squeaking sounds that wanted to be barking but weren't quite there alerted him to the puppy's presence.

"You brought Spock? The ball is almost bigger than him!"

Ears waggling, the beloved pet ran after his master and thus after the ball.

"Of course I brought him. Look, he's having the time of his life. And we both know that you're only making such a face because he ran right past you and after the ball. Apparently, he likes it better than you. Oh, how that must rankle you, to come second to an inanimate object."

Snickers behind him told Umino that the rest of their group had arrived.

It was Mamoru's deep voice that he heard first.

"Maybe you should get a pet yourself, Umino, seeing how much you like the little one."

"No pets in the flat. He can get one once he moves in with Ami."

Turning, Umino welcomed this flatmate, his prince and Takeshi, all of whom were wearing sports attire. Ando had hidden his biting green eyes behind dark sunglasses, thus making it impossible to tell what his mood was like today. He ranged from barely tolerable to outright monster and Umino had actually taken to spending as much time in Ami's guest room as possible. Had Ando been in a good mood, he would have talked about Ami as Umino's frosty princess or naughty nurse, completely ignoring that the fact that she was neither frosty nor a nurse. But his humour had left him after the night of the engagement party and he had steadfastly refused to talk about it. The philosopher had an inkling that Minako knew something, but he hadn't seen her as of late, which was mysterious in itself.

"Hellooooo, let's start, the football is waiting!" Hiromasa impatient voice cut through the sweet summer air.

Mamoru quickly surveyed their small group. "We're an uneven number-"

Takeshi immediately spoke up and only his innate authority kept his voice from sounding too eager.

"I'll referee."

Laughing, Mamoru and Hiromasa exchanged looks that didn't bode well.

"No, you won't. Ando and Hiromasa will be on one team and you, Umino and I will form another. So our team has one member more, but only one player that is actually able to hit the goal," Mamoru explained cheekily. Not used to being the weakest link, Takeshi knitted his brows and unconsciously fumbled for the tie he wasn't wearing. It was quite comical to see the always proper Takeshi Nakamura in sweatpants (brand new and never worn before) and a very white t-shirt that he would never get the grass stains out of.

It turned out that with Takeshi's and Umino's inaptness and the delighted puppy running in front of everyone's feet, a proper game was out of the question. Finally, Mamoru had agreed to Takeshi playing the part of the referee and to Umino taking care of the dog and now the three men played alone, more intent of stealing the ball from another than actually scoring goals. Miraculously, Ando had regained some of his usual spirit and surprised everyone by being a rather formidable player. That he fouled quite a lot didn't come as a surprise, though.

Scratching Spock behind his ears, Umino addressed Takeshi, who still seemed disgruntled.

"Meeting like this was a good idea, wasn't it?"

The architect looked at Ando, who had just shoved Mamoru out of the way and onto the ground and made a goal the second after. The grin on his face was contagious.

"It was. Maybe we could play tennis next time."

Biting down his chuckle so as to not offend his friend, Umino watched Mamoru and Ando squabble over whether or not the goal counted. To an outsider, Ando would have appeared happy. But Umino knew that the good mood was not even skin deep and that the journalist would fall apart again the minute he got home and shut himself in his room where treacherous solace in the form of a liquor bottle awaited him. The flat was so chaotic nowadays that Ami was as good as forbidden from entering it. Also, it had begun to smell like a tavern and Umino had moved all of his precious books to his girlfriend's flat. This obviously meant that he had as good as moved in as well (he still had a dissertation to work on, after all), something Ando would have normally teased him mercilessly about. Practically living with a girl he hadn't even slept with... But Umino didn't care about that, he only cared about being with her. She made him feel whole, she allowed him to be at peace. He had a feeling that Takeshi would understand, but then there were few things the white-haired man didn't seem to grasp. Except for football.

Closing his eyes, Umino let the sun warm his face and grinned.

**July**

Applying her make up for the third time in twenty minutes, Makoto was ready to scream. The bride was supposed to cry not sweat her make-up off.

But then it was the hottest day of the year, she wanted nothing more than a cool beer and a bikini and was instead trapped in three to four layers of chiffon, feeling like a giant meringue.

"I don't think I want to do this."

Usagi laughed.

"That's just nerves, think of Hiromasa."

"No, I don't mean that I don't want to get married, I mean that I'm sick of re-applying all that make-up. It's simply too hot. Why didn't I go for a veil? Then nobody would be able to tell whether or not I was wearing any make-up."

Taking a sip from her iced latte, Minako refrained from pointing out that a veil would have made Makoto only hotter. Even with the small beads of sweat on her forehead, her friend looked radiant. She could have worn a dress made out of old newspapers and still been the prettiest bride Minako had ever seen. She even surpassed Usagi, who had been a vision in white on her wedding day. Deep down, Minako knew that she felt this way because she hadn't expected any of her fellow senshi to find love. It made this day even sweeter.

Across the room, Rei shook her head.

"Makoto, this is your day. If you feel comfortable without make-up, then don't wear any. You look very pretty anyway." All eyes fastened on her as she spoke; compliments from Rei were something to be treasured as she wasn't generally in the habit of paying any.

Ami wrinkled her brows.

"I could transform and put some cool mist in the room, would that help?"

After a moment's consideration, Makoto nodded. "Please do."

Just as Ami's slender fingers found the henshin pen and pulled it out of her soft green purse, a brief knock on the door was followed by three laughing women bursting into the room: Hiromasa's mother, grandmother and favourite aunt. They immediately latched onto Makoto, who was torn between being delighted that her new family came to see her before the nuptials and damning them to eternity because their hugs caused the dress to stick to her sweaty back. Shrugging her shoulders apologetically, Ami let the pen drop to the satin-lined bottom of her purse. Minako giggled and offered the bride the iced beverage, only to have it swatted away by Usagi, who was worried about possible coffee stains on the dress.

A soft knock at the door told them that it was time. Time to get married, time to be happy.

The small church was far from packed, despite the best efforts of Hiromasa's large family. There wasn't a single blood-relative of Makoto's present - they had all died a long time ago - so Hiromasa had quietly arranged for the mixing of both parties. Otherwise the bride's side of the church would have seemed devastatingly empty. For him, there were old school friends, fellow furniture designers, his family, his football team and countless other people that had come to celebrate his happiness. Makoto had no such luck. Her support system was smaller. In fact, her only guests were the girls, Umino, Motoki and Reika (who still hadn't tied the knot), and two old teachers from high school with whom Makoto had always gotten along especially well. When Setsuna and Hotaru arrived almost too late to make it to their places before the bride walked down the aisle, Minako wished that Ando was here to point out the irony of the guardian of time and space having poor time management. There had been no question of convincing Ando to come; he had sworn that he would stay away from Rei, and so he did. Another dearly felt absence was that of Michiru and Haruka. They had been furious upon hearing about the shitennou's return and had thus not even dignified Makoto's invitation with an answer. Hiromasa had almost driven over to their house to introduce himself and to give them a piece of his mind, but a crying Makoto had begged him not to. They just were like that; fierce, loyal, unforgiving. Usagi had secretly contacted the two and had told them to better accept the shitennou in general and the marriage of Makoto and Hiromasa in particular, or they would find themselves in a very sorry position indeed. It was another sign of her easing into the role of a ruler.

Unfortunately, Makoto had no one who could give her away. Mamoru had immediately offered himself, but it would have felt wrong. They just weren't that close. They hadn't even hugged each other until that fateful day in the park. The issue was briefed during the weekly dinner Makoto and Hiromasa had with Minako and Takeshi, and while Minako and Hiromasa had grudgingly left the room to do the dishes (a ploy of Makoto's to get them to make up), Takeshi had given the bride-to-be a long look and then solved her problem in a heart beat.

"I would do it. If you want to. I'd be honoured."

So when the architect led her down the aisle, Makoto thought once again how lucky she was to have such friends in her life.

The ceremony itself was short and sweet, and Hiromasa had managed to stay immobile during most of it, fighting his innate jumpiness. He hadn't been nervous; but still he had barely heard one word the old priest said. He had looked at the woman next to him and counted himself the luckiest man in the world. Today, nothing could bring him down. That the church was decorated with tons of roses, that all the girls were wearing matching green dresses, that Ando wasn't there, that Takeshi and Minako exchanged meaningful glances throughout the service, that his mother was crying so hard that his grandmother tutted at her; all of that he didn't even notice.

The happy couple almost missed the _I do_, so engrossed were they in each other's eyes. It was like the night they had met again, words were unnecessary in the face of a love that strong.

When everyone jumped up to applaud the newly-weds, Rei felt someone staring a hole in her back. She turned slowly, for she already knew who it was. In the very last row stood a man who looked like death, oozing off unhappiness to a degree that sends shivers down her spine. Their eyes met, and she wondered if in this lifetime, she was the one who had destroyed an innocent soul.

A warm hand reached for hers, and Ami pulled her back into the safe cocoon that was their mutual friend's happiest day. By the time Rei turned again, Ando was gone.

**August**

They were standing in front of a canopy bed and Minako's eyes had taken on an expression so rapturous that it bordered on loving. Feeling that someone should put a stop to this, Rei cursed her absent luck and reached for the subtly placed price tag.

"This bed costs more than a year's worth of insurance for the temple", she exclaimed after checking the offensive numbers, disdain etched into her delicate features.

Minako waved her hand dismissively and Rei was secretly glad that the blonde hadn't followed Makoto's example and had allowed her boyfriend to stick a ring on her finger. The moving in together part was bad enough.

After prodding the mattress twice, Minako threw decorum in the wind and jumped on the thick mattress with a little more force than necessary. Noticing that the bed hadn't so much as made a sound, she looked pleased. Her companion winced and not only because of the sales assistant's shocked face. Sometimes she wished she wouldn't be able to follow Minako's thoughts quite so well. Shaking the image of Kunzite and Venus in an ardent embrace from her mind, she sat down on the edge of the mattress, legs primly folded. Her days were filled with visions from past, present and future even though she hadn't been near the holy fire for months now.

"This is perfect," Minako said gleefully.

"If by perfect you mean over-priced and over-sized, then yes, it is."

"Oh, be quiet. Takeshi is ridiculously tall and you know how much space I need in bed."

"It's decadent."

"Don't be such a sour puss. You're just jealous because you sleep on the floor."

A slow smile spread on Rei's face. Everyone walked around on egg shells in her presence; everyone but Minako. Usagi was the worst one; she had practically stopped speaking to Rei in fear of saying something that made her feel even worse. So whenever Usagi and Rei went for a coffee, it was an awfully silent affair, the blonde literally biting her tongue all the time. It seemed that Minako on the other hand had simply accepted that being broken was a part of the girl that had been a priestess for so long and since it was a part of her, it was normal and to be treated as such. Minako had obviously decided to behave as if the world had not fallen apart and Rei had never been so grateful to her. For once, the convoluted reasoning Minako was so infamous for worked in her favour and while it didn't make life easier, it made it more bearable.

"Hiromasa will be offended that you didn't buy any of your furniture at his shop."

Rolling her big blue eyes, Minako moved over to look at the matching night-stand.

"Am I offended because he plays video games other than the Sailor V ones? No, I'm not. And I bought a bloody desk from him, that's quite enough."

"Has he still not gotten over you leaving for New York?"

Not acknowledging what that simple question must have cost her friend, Minako pulled open the nightstand's drawer and inspected it with a furrowed brow.

"Since the wedding, he's talking to me again, but it's not like before. We did get along quite well, but now... Let's just say that the weekly dinners are not as much fun as they could be. At least not for me. Takeshi is having a blast."

Casting her eyes to the floor, the unspoken apology hung in the room and rendered Rei speechless. She stroked the soft linens that hung from the bed's tall frame, too lost in guilt and pain to find the right words.

Once again, Minako ignored the descending gloom and continued breezily.

"Okay, now we've picked a bed, a night-stand and a dining table. A desk we already have, same goes for a chair. And we will keep my couch because they don't make them any bigger and because it's red. Hey, what do you think a about a free standing claw bath tub? That would be fantastic. Where do I get one of those?" The question was accompanied by a not so gentle shove that ironically allowed Rei to find her footing again.

Three hours, a shop assistant close to tears and an undisclosed amount of money later, Minako had found and bought almost everything she needed. The girls now sat in a sushi bar too busy for Rei's liking, but the invitation had been a small gesture of thanks on Minako's side for Rei's company and the senshi of fire found herself unable to decline.

"Are you sure that Takeshi is fine with you picking out all the furniture?"

"Well, he did reserve a veto right for the kitchen because he's the one who cooks, but other than that, it's my call."

Minako seemed blissfully happy, even more so since she had returned from the impromptu holiday she and Takeshi had embarked on two weeks prior. They had spent one week on a tropical island and had swum in the turquoise ocean, taken longs walks, looked at a dormant volcano and had quietly mocked other tourists in their often too skimpy bathing attire. If anyone would have told Rei back in January that the reincarnated and miserable Kunzite would enjoy soaking up the sun for hours on end and listen to her friend's never-ending chatter with delight, she would have sent that person straight to an asylum.

"I still need some decorative stuff, do you have nice things in the shop?"

Rei had taken up a job in an antique shop after leaving the temple. Her grandfather refused to speak to her, not because of her leaving behind what he felt was her vocation, but because she had moved out of the temple that had been her home for such a long time. The old man had taken it as a personal rejection, an insult delivered with a deadly blow to their relationship. They had always been close, drawing strength from one another, but she hadn't been able to stay and be close to what she needed to leave behind. A clean start was all that could help her. Staying would have broken her even more and the bitter truth was that there wasn't a lot left to break.

Usagi had taken to visiting her grandfather for tea once a week, making sure that he knew what his grandchild was doing and that she still cared. It was yet another thing Rei could not express enough thanks for and more than once she had wondered what she would have done without her friends. Ami had found her a small apartment within two days, Makoto had given her some of her old furniture and a surprise letter from Michiru had alerted her to the small antique shop that needed a saleswoman rather desperately. It was owned by an old lady with ailing health and the two of them got along splendidly. While she had never seen herself as anything but a priestess, she had taken to the new field of work like a duck to water. The shop held a lot of history, both of a general and a personal kind and it appealed to her more than she would have thought possible.

After promising Minako to check for items she might like, while silently doubting that her pop culture loving friend would be able to appreciate the intricate beauty of 18th century paintings, Rei had taken her leave. She was already wishing for autumn, hoping that wind and rain would blow away the doubts that had become her constant companions. Should she have given Jadeite another chance? Had her decision to leave the temple been a right one? Was finding herself again in this changed world worth alienating the only family that she had? At least missing her grandfather hurt just as much as thinking about Jadeite's cold eyes at the wedding did. She could now chose which pain to dwell on, a perverse luxury she didn't have before.

Heading home, she wondered what the word really meant and decided that she no longer knew. Her steps were graceful, always more a ballerina than a warrior, but they brought her no closer to the absolution she craved.

**September**

She filled a large glass with vodka, eyeing it apprehensively before downing it one go.

"Oh my God, what are you doing?" Makoto's eyes seemed to almost bulge out of their sockets: it wasn't New Year's, and Minako was obviously trying to get as drunk as possible as fast as possible.

Scrunching up her pretty face, the blonde remained silent for a moment before answering.

"I'm making sure that I'll be puking my heart out in about an hour. And he can't be mad at me if I'm miserable like that, can he?"

Silence reigned in the pretty new house.

"I think you might be onto something," Makoto said thoughtfully as she refilled Minako's glass.

The day started in the most wonderful manner - blue sky, twittering birds, a nice cup of coffee with her boyfriend, that sort of thing - and took a wrong turn somewhere along the lines. Now it could only be described as a complete and utter disaster. Her brilliant plan had backfired in the worst way possible and had once again proven that the road to hell was paved with good intentions. Actually, the road to her own personal hell was paved with her good intentions. Of course, as it always did, it had all started quite innocently.

Makoto had needed to go the pet shop to buy some dog food for Spock and Minako had offered to drive her in Takeshi's car, one of the many perks she was privy to since they moved in together at the beginning of the month. What they hadn't counted on was the special rescue adoption day the shop held every September 19th. So the two women found themselves lifting several heavy bags of smelly stuff and one tail-wagging bundle of fur onto the pristine back-seat of the BMW.

Their first stop was at Rei's new apartment, and the former priestess wasted no time declining the gift.

"Minako, no!"

"Rei, come on! Look at his precious little face! No one wants him because apparently, black great Danes are too common and he's so cute and you need some compan-"

Rei breathed in deeply, and met the blonde's pleading eyes. "I don't want a dog! I don't have time for a dog. I don't even like dogs!"

"But I just thought that-"

"No!"

Across the room, Makoto sat on the only chair Rei's tiny kitchen accommodated and examined the small gold wedding band on her finger. The black puppy was busy licking the table legs.

Trying to help Minako's case, Makoto interjected: "It would be cool if you could join Hiro and me when we're taking Spock for a walk, wouldn't it?"

Rei however was having none of it.

"Makoto, stay out of this. Minako, let me make myself very clear. I appreciate the sentiment, but no. Just no. No, no, no. If you leave him here, I'll take him to the next animal shelter tomorrow."

"But I can't take him back, can I? He'll know, and then he'll be spoilt for anyone else because he'll have these big trust issues and-"

"Then you keep him!"

That had effectively shut her up. Two hours later, Minako broke her sacred vow of never drinking during the year and hoped for the best. Takeshi had been clear on not wanting a dog, especially not in the new house and especially not now, but if she was suffering - and throwing up from lots and lots of vodka should count as such - and if Makoto would speak on her behalf (Makoto being one of the few people Takeshi listened to), then the funny looking puppy might not mean the end of her relationship.

Hearing the key turn in the lock, Minako refilled the glass and sent a silent prayer up to the heavens.

"Aren't you going to offer me one?" Minako shot Makoto a brief look of disdain - time was of the essence here - and hoped that Takeshi was in a good mood. Maybe he had built a new skyscraper today. But then again, the chance of a monumentally large building being erected in one day was rather slim.

"No, I need it all for myself."

The fourth glass was emptied just as swiftly as the first.

As soon as Takeshi entered the living room, Minako turned to look at him in a way so beseeching that it might just have saved Marie Antoinette from having her head chopped off.

Not missing a beat, he turned to Makoto.

"What has she done?"

"Emptied your vodka."

"What else?"

Makoto grinned and shrugged her shoulders. Hiromasa would love this. What a pity that he had to finish a dining room table for a client today, otherwise she would have called him on the spot.

Takeshi walked further into the room, not even bothering to take his jacket or tie off and sat down next to his girlfriend.

"Minako? What is going on?"

The corners of his mouth were twitching as he leaned closer to the blonde whose eyes slid out of focus with the new proximity. She was adorable. It wasn't the first time he had seen her drunk, but it was the first time that counted. By now, he was quite certain that Minako had been the woman he had seen on his lonely walk on New Year's Eve so many months ago, but since she had been in male company at the time, Takeshi hadn't broached the subject. He probably never would. Smiling, he reached out to tuck some stray hairs behind her ears as she spoke.

"I've left something for you in the bathroom, but I don't think you'll like it."

The corners of his mouth dropped immediately.

"Excuse me?"

"But it's pretty. Sooo cute, really. Looks a bit like you. Only that it was the one no one wanted and everyone wants you because you're tall and handsome and... hmm, forgot what I wanted to say."

At that, Makoto burst into laughter and fell off the couch, missing the coffee table by inches.

Takeshi blinked several times.

"I think you have gone insane."

Minako began to shake her head adamantly, accidentally slapping her braid into Takeshi's face. On the floor, Makoto was frantically gasping for air only to resume laughing as soon as she got some in her lungs again.

"No, I wanted to give it to Rei, but she said she didn't have enough time to take care of it. Also, I don't think she likes the fur."

Counting to ten, Takeshi got up and fetched himself a glass of whiskey. Thankfully, Minako hadn't gotten round to emptying that yet.

"So you want me to get my present from the bathroom now?"

"Yes. But I want you to like it, too!"

He had led armies in his past life, build skyscrapers in this one, and yet, he couldn't remember ever feeling this panicky. Praying that there was a sensible explanation for it all, he opened the bathroom door.

"MINAKO! TELL ME THAT'S NOT A DOG!"

Wincing, she turned to Makoto.

"I don't think I'm dru-...drunk enough. Hand me the whiskey."

***

The next morning came, and Takeshi's mood hadn't really improved. Actually, it hadn't improved at all. He had shouted at Minako until the alcohol finally did what it was supposed to; making her vomit. And even though he held her hair and stroked her back, he didn't spare the puppy one glance. Not quite sure how to smooth things over, Minako decided that it would probably be detrimental to her cause if he saw that their new pet had already taken an intense liking to his expensive Italian shoes. So she sent him out to drop his old black leather couch of at Ando's and Umino's apartment, while she tried to do something about the worst hangover known to mankind. Plus, she faced the considerable task of ordering another pair of black dress shoes from Italy and convincing the shopkeepers to ship them to Japan within the next three days.

When Takeshi and Hiromasa arrived in Hiromasa's delivery van, Umino and Ando were already waiting. Umino sat patiently on the curb while Ando paced around, leaving a trail of cigarette stumps in his wake on the pavement. It didn't take long for the four men to carry the piece of furniture upstairs, but as soon as they opened the door to the apartment, Hiromasa wrinkled his nose and motioned to the others to set the couch down.

"It's smells kinda funny here, doesn't it?"

Takeshi sniffed and nodded.

Umino and Ando exchanged unconcerned looks.

"We still need to carry the old couch down to the cellar, so let's drop this one here in the hallway," Umino quipped and walked into the apartment, with Ando on his heels. Takeshi and Hiromasa followed slowly, confusion etched into their faces. Each corner of the hall held a stack of old newspapers so high that it reached the ceiling, but what confused them more than this odd decoration was the smell. What sort of smell was that anyway? A bit musty, most certainly sickly sweet and then there was the distinctive odour of alcohol. Altogether, it was very unpleasant.

As soon as the four men entered the living room, all hell broke loose.

"What the fuck!" Hiromasa exclaimed and inched closer, his mission of retrieving the old couch forgotten. The coffee table in front of it was completely hidden under a vast array of empty pizza boxes, some of which were already happily composting. The floor was dotted with several empty bottles, the occasional cigarette stump (courtesy of Ando), unidentifiable stains of every size and then right under the radiator, a soft spot of green mould was trying to turn this room into a forest.

Speechless, Takeshi turned once on the spot and took a survey of the collateral damage. He ran a mental tally of all the costs involved to return this room to its normal state and shook his head.

Hiromasa was less silent.

"YOU ARE DISGUSTING! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THIS PLACE?"

During his outburst, he accidentally stepped into something yellow that promptly stuck to the soles of his sandals. Adding insult to injury, the yellow slime also stuck to the side of his foot. He tried to wipe it off on the battered old couch, but since more than one bottle of beer and fuzzy drinks had been spilled over it, it was by now so sticky that it took more than a little force to yank his foot off of it again. Hiromasa's flailing had woken a small army of flies that lived on the ceiling and one particularly cheeky one settled itself on Takeshi's neatly combed hair, prompting Ando to laugh.

Big mistake.

Before he even knew what was going on, he found himself practically carried into the hallway with a phone in his hand and dialling Minako's number under Takeshi's withering stare.

She arrived twenty minutes later, puppy in tow.

Without saying a word, Takeshi took her hand and dragged her into the apartment. Her mouth fell open. By the time she had made it to the kitchen, her face had taken on a distinctly green tinge. She hadn't been here for at least two months, and while it had been untidy before, it was downright filthy now.

The counters were littered with dirty dishes, rotting fruit (Umino had the habit of eating some fruit and then dropping it randomly to return to his dissertation), even more mountains of old newspapers (Ando had subscriptions to three different ones) and countless letters and postcards, all of which were addressed to Rei. They would never be sent and yet they were the only clean thing in a ten metre radius.

Someone had built a small tower out of used coffee cups and someone else had chucked an apple against said tower, resulting in the floor being adorned with several shards of various sizes. They were practically glued to the dirty tiles. Both the ceramic glass cook top and the oven were covered with flecks of tomato sauce and the bin was so full that the boys had simply started to throw things next to it as they went.

All in all, it was pandemonium.

The dog immediately set out to follow all these exciting new smells and soon settled in a corner on some old magazines, delightedly chewing on a black sock with ominous white spots. Takeshi nudged his girlfriend and pointed to the pet. Shrieking, Minako rushed over, scooped the puppy up and took the article of clothing out of its mouth with as minimal contact as possible while fighting the urge to retch. A hangover really didn't go well with the apartment also known as the second circle of hell.

"Eight," stated Takeshi eventually, his voice flat. As always in times of stress, confusion or epic battles - all of which applied to this moment-, he turned monosyllabic.

"Excuse me?" she asked and stepped next to him again. He very pointedly ignored the unwanted animal that had wormed its way into his home and gestured to the over-flowing ashtray that stood next to the letters.

"I found eight of these, and I haven't even been in Ando's room yet."

"Have you been to the bathroom?"

His eyes widened in horror and he slowly shook his head as if to say that nothing in this world or the next would prompt him to enter what was without a doubt the epicentre of doom.

Hiromasa joined them, the state of the apartment making him momentarily forget that he was still not really talking to Minako. He bent his head to the puppy and took him from her arms, stroking its soft fur as he spoke. The dog immediately began to lick his hand, and Minako looked mildly resentful.

"I have never seen anything like that. I have three brothers, and I have never seen anything like that. Hell, I've been to college and I've NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT," he hollered in the general direction of the living room where Ando and Umino were still trying to find out what the problem was. Yes, things had gotten a bit out of hand and the flat wasn't really tidy, but their visitors were really exaggerating a bit, weren't they?

Met with this extreme lack of common sense, Takeshi reverted to his best battle tactics. Bring in the surprise weapon.

Ami hadn't been to the apartment since she was sure that the living room floor was able to talk to her, but she had assumed that the boys would have tidied up since then. It had been three months ago, after all.

Her response to the chaos was to blink repeatedly and then threaten Umino with not letting him back into her place until this was all taken care of. Her tone was so sincere and disapproving that even Ando turned a little red (and that hadn't happened since his nanny had caught him burning his dead hamster with his grandfather's magnifying glass at the age of five). She left quickly, fighting the impulse to do the cleaning herself just so that this would become something even resembling a safe environment again. Hiromasa, who was still carrying the dog, and Takeshi followed her quickly, leaving the two culprits and a confused Minako in the apartment of filth.

She hurried after them. "Hey! Hey, wait! Take me with you!"

The slamming of the door told Minako that this really wasn't her day.

***

"I just found some sweetcorn that went over to the dark side in 1999," Minako said as she stared at the can with wide eyes. "Hang on, how is that even possible? You only moved in here a couple of months ago. Why do you have ten year old sweet corn in your pantry?"

After Minako had run after Takeshi, he had told her that cleaning the flat was her opportunity of atoning for the sudden adoption of the dog. Minako Aino had returned with determination and vengeance, her eyes blazing with resolution, her mouth set in a firm line. It lasted until she kicked a stack of newspapers for fun and saw parts of it scuttle away. She decided that it was better not to think about why this inanimate object had the ability to move and sent Ando armed with a pan and a purpose after it.

Umino scratched his head, tousling his curls in the process. They had started to reclaim the apartment in the kitchen and were now throwing away everything that couldn't be saved by spraying it with Windex, nail polish remover or sanitizer which meant that most of the groceries landed in the bin, along with all of the former coffee mugs.

"My gran told me to take some food from her house."

Eyeing a container of yoghurt with more apprehension than it deserved, Minako frowned."Why?"

"Because this is the first time I'm living alone?"

From the living room came a disgruntled shout.

"Hey, I may be drunk or depressed most of the time, but I AM here!"

It was immediately followed by a banging noise and Minako assumed that it was safe to think that the mystery newspaper pet was now quite dead. If not, she would transform and use the Crescent Beam on it.

"I didn't tell my grandmother that I was living with another man!"

Ando stepped into the kitchen, a garbage bag in hand. "Why ever not?"

"Because she thinks I'm gay as it is."

Suddenly, the kitchen clock seemed to tick a little louder as Minako looked pointedly at her shoes, Ando looked at Minako and Umino stared at them both.

"Shouldn't you ask me where on earth she got that idea?"

A snort escaped Ando's lips and he turned to Minako, who was busy examining her split ends.

"Will you tell him or shall I?"

"Tell me what?"

"Ando, don't." Her voice was pleading.

"Oh Min, come on. He has to face the music sometime."

"Be nice." Her look was pleading, but Ando grinned.

"Never. I mean: always. Umino, before you cut your hair, you looked like a ruddy girl. And you suck at sports. Of course your gran thought you were a fairy."

"What? Why? No! No, I mean, Hiromasa wears his hair long. Do you think he looks girly, too?"

"Hiromasa is six foot five. He's huge; he looks like a friendlier version of Batman. You look like Robin and everyone thinks Robin is gay."

Closing her eyes and thinking of England, Minako tried her hardest not to laugh. The mental image of Umino in green tights was firmly rooted in her mind and her more mischievous side contemplated suggesting Robin's outfit as the new shitennou uniforms.

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Umino shot back. "Robin hooked up with Batgirl."

"Alicia Silverstone. And she was a bit on the chubby side in that film. Not the best example to ascertain your heterosexuality, if you ask me."

Minako gripped the counters, the corners of her mouth stubbornly twisting upwards. Imagining Ando in the Joker's costume and Takeshi as Mr. Freeze, she felt her control slip. Her hands, however, did not slip anywhere. The sticky counter took care of that.

"Oh God, that's so gross," she shouted, interrupting the two bickering men. Her palms were covered with some brownish goo of unknown origin. It smelled like old tennis shoes, which was a bit worrying since neither Umino nor Ando had ever set foot on a tennis court.

Bringing her hands closer to her eyes, she squinted. "Do I want to know what that is?"

Umino stepped closer and carefully examined her hands without touching them. Ando (knowing Minako better and thus sensing the impending danger) stayed at a safe distance, and wished for some popcorn. Poor Umino was too oblivious to see what was coming.

"I think it's vanilla sauce."

"Then why isn't it yellow?"

"Umm, because I had it with some cake two weeks ago?"

"Did you now?"

"Erm, yes."

Smiling serenely, Minako lifted her hands and slowly walked towards Umino.

"What are you doing? Minako?" The philosopher's voice had taken on a nervous edge and he stepped back until he bumped into Ando, who refused to clear the path to allow for his mate's escape.

Without hesitation, she jumped towards him and cupped his face with her hands, smearing the goo all over his his stubble-free chin.

Ando laughed until Umino escaped Minako's grip and ran towards his room-mate to successfully kick him in the shin. Hard.

When Takeshi returned several hours later to check up on their progress, his couch was still in the hallway, the flat was still a mess and his girlfriend was throwing a rotting apple at Ando who fortunately ducked just in time for the fruit to fly over his head and hit Umino straight in the face. He was cowering behind a fort made from dirty laundry and retaliated by throwing some old underwear in Minako's general direction. Squeaking, she fled into the last refuge: the one place you just didn't go to in the Apartment of Filth. The place where no girl had been before.

The bathroom.

Looking at his watch, Takeshi stopped the time.

Minako shot out of after precisely twelve seconds, her face serious and tinged green.

"I think we will need Ami to unleash the Mercury Aqua Rhapsody in there because there's no way I'm going back in there. Ever."

Shaking his head, the architect left as quietly as he had arrived.

**October**

It was time to visit her grandfather. The leaves were falling, colouring the ground in red and gold. But Rei knew that the rain would start soon and everything would be turned into a murky brown mess - very symbolic, she thought with a wry smile. Her new life had not turned out the way she wanted it to. Granted, the new job was nice, it left her bone crushingly tired, but surprisingly satisfied in the evenings. But other than that, she longed for the easy comradeship her grandfather had provided for her. They hadn't seen each other in months and missing him didn't go away. She worried that he wouldn't dress warm enough for the cooling temperatures and wouldn't remember to take his vitamin supplements. She made a mental note to ask Usagi to check on him, maybe even send Minako over to the temple as well. But his birthday was coming up in three days and while he always claimed to not care about birthdays, she knew that every year, he had tears in his eyes when she presented him with a cake she had spent hours making. That more often than not it tasted like sand didn't matter, he always ate two slices of it and patted her head in an awkward gesture of thanks afterwards. Then they went on a walk around the temple, watching the seasons change. This year, he would be alone, unless she dared to return to her former home. The thought was terrifying. Rei worried that once she sat foot on the holy ground again, she wouldn't be able to leave and all the pain would have been for naught. Pulling her cloak tighter around herself, she walked on and watched the leaves dance in the air. She could worry about her grandfather and her fate tomorrow. Tonight she had something else to fear.

***

She arrived at Minako's and Takeshi's house at precisely six o'clock. It was the 22nd of October, Minako's birthday. The bubbly blonde had invited all of her friends for a dinner party, and because Minako was Minako, she had invited Ando as well. The information had been shared over a cup of coffee at Makoto's café, and while Minako had smiled in a deceptively sweet manner, her eyes were hard. The time for hiding was over.

Were it not for Takeshi, Rei was sure that she would find herself seated next to Ando because from then on, Minako had made it clear with exaggerated sighs, biting jokes and ample looks that she had had enough. No one could force them to be together again, but in a circle of friends as small and as exclusive as theirs, avoiding each other was an insurmountable task.

Takeshi opened the door, dressed to the peak in a dark grey suit that would have done Senator Hino proud. The architect smiled his reluctant smile and led her in. He took her coat while she walked into the spacious living room to greet the other guests. Ami and Umino were already there, sitting next to each other on Minako's huge red couch. By some miracle, even Usagi was on time. She was admiring some framed photographs of Minako and Takeshi on the wall. Rei remembered that Minako had told her about the appointment at the photographer's, how happy she was that she and her boyfriend would be caught on film together for the world to see. It was such a deviation from how their relationship was in the Silver Millennium: a secret coated in the darkness of the night. A quick glance told Rei that the pictures were indeed beautiful. All black and white, each picture showed a different stage of the photo shoot.

In one, the two of them stood next to each other, Takeshi looking proud and tall, Minako lithe and bubbly. Another one depicted the pair holding hands, and then there was one in which she tickled him and the photographer had managed to catch his laughter in just the right moment. The one that made Rei's heart clench a little bit was them just looking at each other, both faces sporting a look of devotion and happiness that Rei had only ever seen on Mamoru and Usagi. Rei looked at Usagi, who was smiling serenely, obviously satisfied to see the leaders of both hers and Mamoru's guard so happy.

Next to Usagi, Mamoru was nursing a glass of what looked like water, but was probably vodka. Rei knew that Takeshi had a soft spot for the drink; it was the first thing she had learned about him in this life. She briefly wondered if he still drank too much to cope with his inner demons or if Minako's presence alone was enough to keep them at bay. It had certainly worked for Ando. The birthday girl herself was notably absent, and spotting the empty dog basket near the crackling fireplace, so was her pet. Rei greeted her friends with a smile.

"Rei, can I offer you something to drink? Champagne, sparkling water, whiskey? Vodka?" Takeshi, always proper, always perfect. Once again, Rei wondered how far they had come. She was almost at ease around the shitennou now (with one notable exception, of course), and it was all due to Usagi. After the engagement party, she had made a point of arranging little meetings. If she invited Rei over for coffee, Makoto and Hiromasa might be there. If they went out to catch a film, it was in the company of Takeshi and Minako. Weekend trips to the countryside involved Ami and Umino more often than not and slowly, she had found herself accepting the men they were now. She hadn't forgotten what lingered under the surface, what they had once done, but she had acknowledged that they were more than they used to be. With a smile, she declined his offer. "No, thank you, not yet. Where's Minako?"

"She has gone to fetch Ando." Takeshi's voice was even, unconcerned, but she could see the worry in his watchful eyes. It was easy to tell that he hadn't been in favour of forcing the two of them together like this.

"I see. And she took the dog with her?" Her question caused him to press his lips in a thin line and his back went ramrod straight. It made him look so much more like Kunzite, but Rei brushed the thought aside with determination.

"Yes, she has." So they were still fighting about it. Rei almost felt guilty, but then again it was Minako who had randomly adopted a dog without asking Takeshi and not herself. A bitter thought crossed her mind: I can get as many dogs as I want to. No one will care. Benefit of being lonely.

"She got it for me, originally," she grimaced. His answer was a little fiercer than expected. Of course, it was still polite by other people's standards, but Rei was sure that she had hit a sore point.

"Then why didn't you take it?"

"You don't like it?"

"No, not much. Do you know what breed it is?"

"I thought he must be a mixed breed, seeing how she got him from a shelter."

"No. It's a Great Dane. Emphasis on great."

Behind Takeshi, Mamoru bit back a laugh. The architect's dislike for the pet was already legendary, and the source of many hours of amusement for everyone but Takeshi and Minako. Ando had taken to enquire after the pet every time he saw Takeshi, just to rile him up. It worked without fail. Every. Single. Time. Ando even rang his office every once in a while to ask about the dog's welfare, and it had already gotten to the point that Mrs. Fukuda didn't pass his messages along any more.

Having been raised to be diplomatic, Rei tried to smooth over Takeshi's visible discomfort.

"And there is no chance of her giving it away? I'm sure that Hiromasa would take him, he really likes dogs."

"I do think that Makoto is perfectly content with only having one."

The doorbell interrupted their conversation and Takeshi excused himself.

Rei's heart began to beat a little faster and her stomach clenched. She wondered if she would feel like this all evening long: tense, anxious, worried. If it were them, they wouldn't ring. Minako has a key. Calm down, calm down.

When the door opened to reveal Hiromasa and Makoto, she let out a deep breath of relief. Hiromasa was dressed in a white shirt, his sports jacket already slung over his shoulder. He really hated dressing up, and while both Mamoru and Takeshi were wearing ties, no such article of clothing would find its way around Hiromasa's neck.

Usagi had abandoned Mamoru and the pictures and popped up next to her. Her voice was sweet and smooth; it never failed to calm Rei.

"Rei, don't worry. It's just a dinner. Two hours. You don't even have to talk to him, Takeshi made sure that you are seated at opposite ends of the table."

Verifying this new piece of information, she peered into the dining room. The large oak table Minako had bought three months ago was beautifully set, lots of gold, crystal and candles. Each place was adorned with a small place card, and even from the distance she could tell that the handwriting wasn't Minako's. It was small, messy and with lots of edges; presumably Takeshi's. If Takeshi was in charge of the seating arrangements, there wouldn't be any unwelcome surprises. Relieved, she turned to Usagi again. Her friend had abandoned her signature hairstyle tonight and opted for a sleek ponytail. It was a look that suited her, and Rei secretly wondered if Usagi felt that she was now too old for the odangos. She reached for the ponytail and tugged it with playful fingers.

"Looks good."

The beaming smile that spread across Usagi's face told her how much the blonde appreciated the compliment.

"I was going for something else, a change. Felt that it was high time, you know?"

Fingering a strand of her own hair, long and unchanged for years, she smiled.

"Yes, I know." Change was good, change was necessary. But then why did she feel as if she had lost the ground under her feet in the past months? What had started as a necessity, as something good, had turned into punishment before she knew it and now it seemed to late to reverse it. How could she have abandoned her only family like that? Rei bit down on her bottom lip, and pushed these bitter thoughts from her mind. No sense in ruining Minako's birthday party before it even started.

Hiromasa came over and hugged Usagi, offering his hand to Rei. The wedding band glinted as it caught a ray of light from the lamp. His eyes stayed on the women for only a minute before straying to the empty dog basket, his large face full of disappointment.

"Hey, where's the little one? I brought Spock so that they could play!" Behind him, Makoto snorted.

Takeshi handed him a glass of whiskey. "Little?" Hiromasa accepted the drink and grinned.

"Still haven't gotten over yourself? Your dog is nice, mate, he really is. Better behaved than mine, ask my wife." There was pride in his voice, and it endeared him to Rei. "Does he have a name yet?" Usagi quipped, but Takeshi only shook his head, making it clear that he was done talking about the dog.

"How is your business going, Hiromasa? Makoto mentioned that you secured a very wealthy customer recently who wants only your furniture in his three houses." Grinning, Usagi wandered off to Ami and Umino again. Takeshi was really nice, but he just wasn't any fun. Hiromasa however stayed, and so did the grin on his face.

"Changing the subject much? And just so you know, if your girlfriend were a little less vindictive, that customer would have been you." Clearly not willing to talk about the dog or discuss Minako's attitude towards Hiromasa, Takeshi broached a new topic.

"How do you like the whiskey?"

Hiromasa took a sip of the drink and made an impressed face. "I want a bottle of this for Christmas. And as long as you're not vile to the dog, we're good."

"I'm ignoring the thing as long as I can and consider your Christmas wish duly noted."

At that moment, Minako, Ando and the dog burst into the room. Minako was all smiles and immediately began to hug her guests while Ando walked over to Mamoru and took the glass right out of his hands. The Great Dane trotted over to Takeshi and immediately sat down on his shoes.

***

The dinner went... well, it went the way one would expect it to go.

Rei, carefully placed between Usagi and Makoto, had managed about three spoonfuls of her pumpkin soup, taken two full bites of the bread that rested on her plate and awaited the main course with dread. At least Minako hadn't cooked, that would have been fatal. All the food had been delivered from a five star restaurant in the city centre, but they had not hired any waiters for the evening because they had too many secrets to keep and wished to speak freely on a night like this. So Minako and Takeshi acted as waiters, with the result that the side of the table that was served by Takeshi got their food while it was still hot and the side that was served by Minako had it spilled over lovingly ironed shirts and carefully chosen dresses. Ami had offered to take over, and so had Makoto, but Minako was nothing if not insistent.

At the opposite end of the table, cushioned between Minako and Umino, Ando ate quietly. His eyes had not yet strayed from his plate, and he didn't even try to join in on the conversation. Dressed up for the occasion, he was wearing one of the suits his father kept giving him for Christmas each year in a fruitless attempt to lure him into the corporate world. That the dark blue shirt Minako had forced him to wear belonged to Takeshi was something he had only figured out when Takeshi welcomed him and murmured in his ear: "I want that back, and don't even think about throwing it on your filthy floor when you get home."

***

In the kitchen, Minako and Takeshi were just about to cut up the roast beef when he took her hand and pressed it to his lips.

"Minako." She was wearing a little black dress that clung to her curves in all the right places. The locket he had given her rested between her breasts; it was the only piece of jewellery she wore. He had a hard time looking anywhere but at her all night long, which had made serving a soup course considerably difficult.

"Hmm?"

"Happy birthday." And with that, he kissed her. It was the sort of kiss that left her short of breath, made her toes curl, her heart flutter, her brain melt. It was the sort of kiss that left Minako wishing that all of her friends would just leave immediately so that Takeshi could have his wicked way with her right then and there on the kitchen floor. It was the sort of kiss that had made her addicted to him when she was still a goddess and he a warrior in a magical kingdom high up in the sky.

He broke the kiss, and ran a hand through her golden curls. Stepping away from him, she straightened her dress and tried to remember how exactly one went about breathing.

"Unfair."

His face gave nothing away.

"I don't know what you're talking about it."

"You did that thing. That thing with your tongue."

"I wasn't aware that I did things with my tongue that my tongue wasn't supposed to do. I thought the whole point of kissing was to do things with your tongue."

She swatted him with a kitchen towel, her cheeks reddened.

"Spare me the act, mock innocence doesn't suit you. And just so you know: as soon as they're all gone, you and I are going to the bedroom. And we're not coming out until my birthday is over."

"While this sounds like a wonderful plan, you forgot that your dog will need to be taken for a walk. So the bedroom will have to wait, won't it?"

And with a smirk, he took the plate with the roast on it and carried it to their guests.

In the kitchen, Minako cursed.

"Stupid, fucking dog."

***

The stupid, fucking dog was actually busy playing with Spock under the table, every once in a while bumping into someone's leg. Of course, Hiromasa had insisted on bringing Spock. Much to Makoto's dismay, he took him everywhere. The supermarket, restaurants, to his parents, to their friends, to the café... everywhere. But to her great surprise, Ando had also taken to the long-eared animal. He loved taking him and Minako's dog for long walks, even in the rain, and Hiromasa was beginning to get jealous. Privately, Makoto thought it was all getting a bit out of hand, but she loved her husband and was sure that she had several little quirks that he took in stride to be with her, so she smiled and petted and focused on the cuteness rather than the countless things Spock had destroyed by chewing on and slobbering all over them.

Takeshi however was not so willing to take it all in stride; not used to being defied all that often, he was seriously upset. A week into the Great Dane's residence in his house, the architect stormed outside in the garden and only returned when a perfectly adequate doghouse stood under the apple tree. Minako - deeply offended that her beloved pet was supposed to stay anywhere but near her - crossed her arms over her chest and coldly asked Takeshi to knock the construction down again. The two of them had then argued until the dog hid under the couch, scared of the angry voices.

Of course, it refused to come out until Minako dangled the steak that was supposed to be Takeshi's dinner in front of its nose. In an otherwise happy home, the dog was a constant source of friction and while taking a bite of her broccoli, Makoto wondered whether or not to suggest to Minako to give the pet away for the sake of her relationship. Then her eyes strayed to her husband, who was sneaking the two dogs under the table some bits of roast beef from his plate while pretending to listen to Umino's tale of how the bathroom in the apartment of filth had been reclaimed through magic powers only and Makoto Obuchi decided that Takeshi would very simple have to get over himself.

***

It was during dessert that the bombed dropped.

Ando cleared his throat, and the table fell instinctively silent. So far both Ando and Rei had been quiet, letting the conversation float around them without joining in.

"So Rei... I heard that you have a new job."

A tiny part of Rei knew that he had waited until she had finally taken the first bite of birthday cake, just so that he could see her choke on it. Whether it was revenge or his own brand of humour, she couldn't tell. Swallowing down the chocolate cake that now tasted like lead, she forced a smile on her face. Under the table, Makoto put a soothing hand on Rei's thigh and squeezed.

"I work in an antique shop now. It's different, but I quite like it."

He nodded and took a sip of his red wine before turning his overly bright eyes back on her face. Not even the other eight people in the room could make this moment anything other than their own. He was challenging her, finally casting his submissive suffering aside like an old cloak.

"And what does your grandfather make of it? He must miss you at the temple."

Her fork slid out of her hand and fell on her plate with a soft clank. Briefly wondering whether he had read her face or her mind, she closed her eyes. The image of her grandfather was so clear now, it was just as present as the pictures of Minako and Takeshi on the wall behind her. Jadeite had found her soft spot and pushed the dagger in - again. Sliding her chair back, she looked at Minako once before leaving the room in measured steps. They heard the front door close soon after that.

Umino was the first to break the silence that had settled over the table.

"And that was necessary how?"

Ando simply shrugged, and began to toy with his empty pack of cigarettes.

**November**

Sitting cross-legged on the desk in his study, Minako was talking animatedly; effectively drowning the sound of Mozart in the background. Takeshi sat on the chair in front of the cherry wood desk and eyed her with little contained impatience. That she was sitting on the first draft of the design for a new building didn't make it any better.

"She is the sort of person who kicks puppies. No, wait. She's the sort of person who eats puppies."

"Minako."

"Actually, she's the sort of person who takes a bite out of a sweet little puppy, watches it bleed to death and then goes to get herself some tofu for lunch. That's what she' s like."

He reached over and pushed her a little to the side to retrieve the precious sketch before she crumpled it even more. After storing it safely on one of the bookshelves on his left, his focus returned to the woman perched on his desk. "Minako, you mother can't be that bad. And right now, I don't mind meeting someone who can take Attila off my hands."

"First of all: that's not his name. And second: you haven't met her yet."

"My point exactly."

"Takeshi, please. Let's stay here. Or let's go and look at your new project. Ooh, that really big house? Shall we go there? You like houses, you're an architect."

"Minako, I want to get to know your family. Is that so hard to understand?" Meeting his eyes, she could tell that he was exasperated. This unusual look on his handsome features might have swayed her, had it not been her mother they were talking about. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Yes, it is. There are about five million things that are more fun than meeting my family, including, but not limited to: walking barefoot over broken beer bottles, jumping off a cliff, killing a youma, being dead, being reborn, being hungry and let's not forget arguing with Rei about Ando. Or with Ando about Rei. And I know what I'm talking about, all of that has already happened to me. Some of it even more than once. So please, don't make me meet my mother."

Something in the air shifted, ad he looked as if he just had an epiphany of the darkest sort.

"Is this relationship something you're ashamed of?"

"Wait, what? No!" She nearly laughed at the absurdity of the idea, but the grave expression on his face killed the laughter in her throat before it could resonate off the cream coloured walls. "But my mother is ashamed of me and I'd rather not introduce you. The thought that she and I share some genetic make-up is scary. Really, you don't want to meet her. Trust me."

"Fine."

He got up and walked out of his study, hollering "Attila!" as he went. The puppy - already taller than many fully-grown dogs - raced after him and knocked over a potted plant in the process.

Stomping her foot, Minako shouted: "AND HIS NAME IS NOT ATTILA!"

***

When Takeshi got home, it was already dark, which wasn't saying much since it was November. He commanded the dog to its basket and climbed up the stairs to their bedroom, knowing that Minako was waiting for him there. Opening the door, he fully expected her to throw something at him, but found her sitting in the middle of the gigantic bed, nose in a picture album. She was dressed in some old girly pyjamas, their legs too short and the prints already fading. Had he been more familiar with popular culture, he would have recognised the print as Princess Peach from Super Mario.

"Minako..."

"We're driving over to my parents on Sunday. Dinner. I'd tell you to dress nice, but then you always do, so it would be rather pointless, wouldn't it?" He placed a quiet kiss on her head. "Thank you."

Her voice was flat, and the evenness in it didn't suit her. "I don't like being emotionally blackmailed. Take that as a reference for the future and get in bed. I'm tired."

She kicked the photo album to the floor, looking absurdly pleased as she watched some pictures fly out of it and scrambled under the covers so that only the top of her head was visible.

"Minako, it's not even eight o'clock."

"So?"

Torn between amusement and anger, Takeshi picked the album and the loose pictures up on his way to the bathroom and put the recovered memorabilia on a chest of dressers. While he itched to look through it to see what had made her so angry, he knew that it was not his place to do so. He took a long hot shower to get the late autumn chill out of his bones and put on a fresh pair of pyjamas. Sniffing them, he noticed that Minako had changed the detergent from the plain one he used to buy during his bachelor days to something more flowery. It smelled nice; homey and familiar. When he climbed into the bed, he reached for her and pulled her close. Her voice was muffled against his chest as she spoke.

"My mother and I don't get along."

"I figured."

"And she doesn't know about the whole senshi business, so we need to come up with a realistic story of how we met." It was almost no longer strange to acknowledge that their origins lay in another world and time. Both could make it sound as if they were at ease with it, and yet, in the darkness of the night, the ghosts of Kunzite and Venus in their most sinister versions came to wreck havoc on Takeshi's soul. Forcing the past away from him, he clung to their present.

"That should be easy. We were introduced by mutual friends - Makoto and Hiromasa."

"And the dog's name is not-"

"Attila. I get it."

They fell asleep huddled up against each another.

***

Sunday came too soon for Minako's liking. The dog had been taken over to Makoto's and Hiromasa's place, where he would stay for the evening. Hiromasa was over the moon and had taken the two pets and Ando for a long walk as soon as a visibly relieved Takeshi shoved the Great Dane into his arms. Makoto had smiled sweetly and told Takeshi that she would send him a bill for everything his pet destroyed.

Takeshi was now killing time in his study, hunched over maps and ground evaluation charts while he waited for Minako to get ready. She had been in the bathroom for at least two hours now, changing both her hair and her make-up several times before eventually settling on a bun, some barely there blush and mascara. Every lipstick she owned seemed too bright, every eye shadow too colourful. Most of her dresses seemed too bohemian, jeans were not chic enough and unfortunately, she just didn't have any potato sacks handy. Not that it mattered how she looked, her mother would disapprove anyway.

Dressed in a beige cashmere jumper her mother had given her for her birthday a few years ago and some boring black trousers and ballet shoes, she tapped her boyfriend on the shoulder.

"Ready."

***

When Takeshi's BMW came to a halt in front of her parents' house, Minako sunk deeper into the passenger seat. Her mood was already spectacularly bad, she was a volcano waiting to erupt and Takeshi was aware that she would make him pay for every minute they would spent in the quaint looking house in the Juban district. The bare trees visible behind walls and houses spoke of a winter that was already lurking around the corner.

"Shall we go in?"

"Stupid question. You were so keen to meet her, so why don't you go ahead? I'll take the time to redirect the exhaust pipe into the passenger cabin and end my misery."

"Minako, you are not eleven years old."

"And you're not fifty and yet you behave like it."

"I'm not arguing with you."

"Coward."

"Don't push me." It never ceased to amaze her how cold his voice could get, and how quickly at that. All that cool, calm, collected nonsense that everyone associated with him was actually quite ridiculous, Minako thought viciously. He had even more of a temper than she did, he just hid it better.

They were interrupted by a knock on the window. A woman with a blonde bob and piercing blue eyes stared into the car, her smile a tad too wide on her carefully made up face. She wore the same jumper Minako had put on with so much distaste half an hour earlier. The woman pointed to the house first, to her daughter second and then turned and walked up the driveway again.

Minako sighed and stated the obvious. "That was my mother. She wants us to get out of the car and come inside."

"We are ten minutes early." Takeshi shifted in his seat. He had calculated that he would need at least ten minutes to get Minako out of the car in the first place, hence the early arrival.

"Try telling her that, I dare you. Come on, she's waiting."

***

Minako's father was actually fairly pleasant, Takeshi realised. The older man had made conversation with him as soon as they stepped through the door, chatting easily about both the city and the weather, and inquiring in the most polite manner what he did for a living. Hearing that Takeshi was an architect seemed to please Mr. Aino and they delved into a long-winded conversation about a new shopping centre that was being built near the suburbs. In the kitchen, Minako helped her mother prepare the dinner. She would have rather stayed with Takeshi and her dad, but figured that ten minutes into the meeting was presumably not the right time to start an argument about how much she hated cutting vegetables.

"How are your studies going?" After five months of virtually no contact, Minako wondered whether her mother couldn't have started with another question. Frowning, she stopped hacking the carrots.

"Okay." Not satisfied, her mother pressed on while checking the roast pork in the oven. A wonderful smell wafted through the kitchen. While Minako resented many things her mother did, her cooking was not among them.

"How many classes do you take?"

"Six. No wait, seven. I have to retake one that I failed last semester."

"I always told you that you can't expect to pass your exams if you're being lazy." Mrs. Aino peeled some potatoes with practised ease, all the while looking at her daughter.

"I wasn't, I just missed too much near the end of the semester because I wasn't on campus enough."

"And why is that?" Mrs. Aino turned the kitchen light on, and it caught in the pearl earrings she wore.

"A friend of mine needed my help; I flew to New York and didn't return for two months. Do you need me to cut more carrots?"

"No, but the pieces need to be smaller, do it again. Which friend was it? Usagi? She's such a flighty girl."

"Mother, Usagi isn't flighty, she's married. And no, it wasn't her, it was another friend; one you don't know."

"Does that friend have a name?"

"Ando."

"That's a boy." Mrs. Aino stopped dead in her tracks.

"Yep."

"But not the one who's talking to your father right now."

"Nope."

"Minako..." There it was, the fully disapproving voice that usually made her run for the hills in seconds. Only the fact that Takeshi was sitting in the living-room made her stay put; his comment about her behaving like a child had struck a chord, so Minako decided to demonstrate patience and control.

"It's not like that. Ando's a friend of Takeshi's, too."

Huffing, her mother turned her back on her daughter. "You need to get your hair cut."

"I'm wearing it in a bun, how can you tell that it needs cutting?"

"Your hair always needs cutting, you wear it far too long. And now get going on those carrots, or we won't be able to have any for dinner."

***

When the small group finally assembled at the table, Mrs. Aino took the opportunity to quiz her daughter some more.

"When did you last clean your flat?" Takeshi subtly looked around, noticing that everything was tidy and very, very clean. A bit like his old penthouse, actually.

"I don't live in my flat any more, Mum. I moved." Her father smiled. "That's good for you, honey." Her mother, on the other hand, was less pleased. Her knife made a screeching sound as she cut her potato with a little more force than necessary. "Well, thank you for notifying me."

Trying to be helpful, Takeshi cut in. Since his own mother died when he was seven and his father followed her to the grave ten years later, he couldn't understand Minako's neglectful attitude towards her parents. Still, he felt the need to defend her. "Minako and I moved in together at the beginning of autumn, and since she has organised the move, she was very busy."

"You moved in together? Mr. Nakamura, how long have you been seeing my daughter?" There it was, the scandalised voice. Oh, Minako knew it so well. She looked at her father, checking that he wouldn't suddenly display an unusual surge of parental protection, but only found the older man happily munching his pork. He really did have the blithest temper.

Minako pushed the vegetables around on her plate until they formed a perfect triangle and answered before Takeshi could. "February."

Mrs. Aino looked at Takeshi. He noticed that ,very much like her daughter, the older woman had barely touched her food. She was skinny, and now that she was leaning over the table towards him, she looked distinctly birdlike. "Is that so? Minako never mentioned you."

"Might be because I never call," Minako injected sweetly. Takeshi shot her a warning glance, one that didn't go unnoticed by Mrs. Aino. The older woman laughed; it sounded bitter.

"Well, my daughter is a handful. Always has been, even as a little girl she was a horribly difficult child. But then you might be able to tame her, Lord knows I haven't been able to."

"I'm not a horse." Pushing her plate back, Minako glared at her mother.

"Of course you're not, sweetie." Her father reassured, ever so diplomatic. If only he had more backbone, she might even come to visit more than twice a year, Minako thought as took a sip of her water.

"Mr. Nakamura, I hope she contributes to the expenses. I hate to say this about my own child, but Minako can be very self-centred and I would hate to have her take advantage of you. You seem like such a nice man. Please let us know if there is something we can do."

Lowering his fork, Takeshi forced a smile on his face. Mr. Aino awkwardly waved the bread basket in front of his daughter's face, trying to distract her from carrying out the desperate wish to murder her mother. Mrs. Aino however was undeterred.

"Do you have a job?" Toying with the stem of her glass, Minako remained silent. She remembered meeting Ando's parents and wondered how she could have ever thought them to be worse than her own mother.

"I asked you whether or not you have a job."

"Nope."

"How did you finance your old flat?" Moving the glass around a little faster, a bit of her water sloshed over the brim and soaked the white tablecloth.

"I just did." For once, Minako wished that she could tell her mother that she was in fact stinking rich. But how exactly did you tell your mother that you were a reborn soldier goddess of a forgotten kingdom from another planet who conveniently managed to turn her alter ego into a computer game heroine? So instead, she shrugged and kept her secrets, just like she had since the day Artemis strolled into her life.

"You are infuriating."

"Do you want me to share some details of my life with you? Fine. I have a dog. Actually, we have a dog."

Remembering three pairs of destroyed shoes, the large stain on the rug in his study and dog hairs on the couch, Takeshi put on a deadpan face and nodded. "His name is Attila." Minako looked at him, jaw slack, all good resolutions forgotten and exploded, knocking her glass over in the process.

"HIS NAME IS NOT ATTILA!" Her mother followed suit.

"I DID NOT RAISE YOU TO SHOUT AT THE DINNER TABLE!"

Mr. Aino took another bite of his pork, a delighted if distant expression on his friendly face and Takeshi noted with somewhat grim satisfaction that the bloody dog had finally been good for something.

**December**

Every once in a while, you do some really strange things, move in sync with their alien beat for a little while and then suddenly, all you can think of is: what the fuck am I doing here?

It was this thought that kept flashing through Ando's mind as he looked at the giant Christmas tree in his parents' living-room in New York. He wasn't sure what was worse: the cheap beer he had had last night which induced hangover like nothing else, or the blinking pyramid of glass and crystal that dominated half of the room.

At least the parental unit was blissfully absent now, but they had been more than happy to welcome him into their house and berate him for everything from his hair cut to his choice of job and eventually his moving to Japan. Both his mother and his father had carefully avoided the topic of the blonde he had introduced to them in summer, acting as if she didn't exist. Thinking of Minako, who was probably turning her house into Christmas-central and of Takeshi, who would grumble and shout at the dog only to leave all of his scrooging behind once he saw his girlfriend's wide smile, Ando wondered whether they would have minded terribly if he spent Christmas with them in their shiny new home. He could make himself useful, he thought with a pang of hope, he could pass the gravy during Christmas dinner or something.

While pouring himself a glass of his father's oldest whiskey (as forbidden as it was delicious), Ando had to grudgingly admit to himself that they probably would mind. Those happy and in love didn't want a stinking ball of misery by their side during the major holidays. He knew that both Ami and Umino were celebrating with their respective families, and Hiromasa had taken Makoto to his grandmother. Mamoru and Usagi were at the Tsukinos` house, and that left only Rei unaccounted for and he seriously doubted that she would share the holiday spirit with him. So a week ago, Ando had made a big show out of having to fly to New York for work reasons, announcing that unfortunately, he wouldn't be back before New Year's, but that he would make up for his absence with mountains of useless presents. Minako had shot him a knowing look, but opted for silence and when she dropped him off at the airport, she hugged him a little harder than necessary and asked him not to kick the poodle too much, a plea he chose to ignore after the stupid living cotton ball had bitten him in the leg ten minutes into his visit.

Feeling more than a little relief that his parents were away at one of their many annual charity functions, Ando strolled trough the living-room, filching through boring coffee table books, looking at pictures and wondering whether his parents had any idea what they were donating copious amounts of money for. While the concept of charity was good, Ando knew that his father only agreed to go because all of his partners were there and his mother was in it for the pretty new dress. Never mind the starving children; they could take care of themselves.

Strangely, without his parents fluttering around him and nagging him, the house was too silent. It should have been peaceful, but it was just flat out unnerving. It wasn't as if Ando had nothing to do: he could do some writing, he could meet his editor, he could buy the presents he had promised his friends back in Japan, he could empty his father's bar, and if push came to shove, he could find himself a pretty girl and find some brief distraction. Not that it would work in the long run, he thought bitterly while kicking back another glass of whiskey, no woman could compare to Rei and that she resented him didn't mean that his own feelings were in any way diminishing. Of course, he had wondered more than once whether he should return to Tokyo at all. Distance made the heart grow fonder, and he was actually quite sure that Rei would accept him in time if he didn't manage to fuck it up beforehand. The thing was just that Ando began to belief that fucking up was what he did best. By asking Minako to come to New York with him in summer, he had almost destroyed her and Takeshi's relationship and while the couple was happy now, the extended trip to New York was still by no means forgotten; Hiromasa made a point of reminding both Minako and Ando of it at least once a week. And asking after her new career during Minako's birthday dinner had made Rei intensely upset, even though he only tried to make some civilised conservation. Deliberately setting his glass down on the antique coffee table without a coaster and hoping it would leave a stain, Ando left the living-room and seconds later, the house.

"Oh fuck. Oh fucking fuck!" he burst out as the cold wind slapped him in the face. Even after having been here for a week, he hadn't got used to the insane temperatures in the city. Tokyo was a solid ten degrees warmer than New York, and not for the first time, Ando wished that fate had dealt him better cards - cards that allowed him to stay in the company of his friends while bumming around in the relative warm of his new home country. But at Minako's birthday dinner, his heart had been beating in chest as if it were about to burst, and while it was the best and the worst feeling in the world to have Rei this close to him, it wasn't exactly healthy. Not until some time had passed.

Turning up his collar, he considered his options. He needed to do something, otherwise he would hail a cab and drive to the airport. The airport meant planes, planes meant Tokyo, and Tokyo meant a million conflicting emotions that no-one was ready to deal with at this point, least of all himself. Seeing a woman with shopping bags pass him by, Ando made his choice and set out to buy some presents. It didn't take him long to find the right things for his friends, and despite his threat, he made a point of getting them nice and useful things. Takeshi was the first one on his list, and he got him the finest set of pencils he could find. Umino was to be gifted with three new shirts, and since Ando wore Umino's clothes with alarming frequency, figuring out the right size was a piece of cake. It took him several shops to decide on something for Hiromasa and Makoto, and because it was so difficult, he decided to follow the Frank Xavier Cross tradition of present choosing and got them a nice set of knives. Both liked to cook, and Ando concluded that before cooking came cutting, so knives were a logical, if not brilliant solution. Ami got a new romance novel fresh from the press, and to tease her a little, he put the book in a medically themed cover. Abandoning his line of reasonable presents, he got Usagi a snow globe, knowing that the childlike woman would love it far more than anything she could actually use. Mamoru got a new watch (shiny silver, very elegant, if the saleswoman was to be believed) and finally, there were only the two women closest to his heart left to find something for, even though he had no idea what Rei liked. Other than tea and heartbreak, that was.

Since Minako liked everything, it was both incredibly easy and incredibly hard to get her something. A bubbly saleswoman tried her hardest to sell him a Kindle, and while her smile was lovely and her knowledge about the white piece of technology extensive, Ando could only shake his head in silent protest before fleeing. In an antique bookshop he used to haunt back when he still lived in the city, he found what he was looking for. It was simple, it was cheap, and Minako would love it. Nabokov's Lolita was put into his shopping bag alongside his other purchases, joined by another book before he even realised he had bought it, and off he went into the cold New York evening.

***

A week later, several colourful and one far more inconspicuous parcel were delivered to addresses all over Tokyo. Almost at the same time, the red, and blue, and pink, and yellow paper was ripped from the presents.

"Aww look, Hiro, Ando got us some new knives! We have to keep them far away from Usagi, or she'll accidentally cut her hand off."

"He got you a dirty book?" Takeshi asked a beaming Minako with a frown. She laughed, and began to browse through the pages. "It's not dirty, it's art. Now go and unwrap your own."

"Mamo, this is so nice! I like your watch, too. Very Tuxedo Mask, huh?"

"It's a medical textbook," Ami said to her mother while browsing through the pages. A sly blush crept up her chest, and she closed the book. "Just a medical textbook."

"Umino, why would a man send you new shirts? And what about this note? _Sorry, old ones are no longer usable, they we're lying on my bedroom floor far too long See you in the new year, Ando._ Ando is a male name. Sweetie, is there something you want to talk about? You know you can tell your Grandma everything, you'll always be my little Umi-bear." Burying his head in arms, Umino took a second to curse his room-mate to hell and back before smiling tiredly at his grandmother.

***

The only gift wrapped in brown paper was carried to the door of one Ms Rei Hino, who was alone in her flat. Christmas did not have a hold over the small apartment, but there were a few candles lit to cast a glow in the dark. Opening the door, Rei accepted the present from the delivery man, already knowing who sent it her way. She had dreamt about it, had seen him walking the streets of a city unknown to her, had witnessed his search for countless perfect present before picking the leather bound book she now unwrapped with trembling fingers. It was a collection of poems, some marked by pressed roses between the pages. She flicked the first marked page open, and picked a random pair of verse to read.

_The memory of you emerges from the night around me._

_The river mingles its stubborn lament with the sea._

Too soon, too close.

Quickly pushing it shut, she put the narrow book on her empty shelves, where it would be waiting until she was ready or he had forgotten her.

**January**

Fireworks exploded in the sky, and just like last year, Minako stood alone on the balcony of the restaurant with an umbrella-topped cocktail in hand while her friends were celebrating inside. And just like last year, she was pleasantly drunk. This however was were the similarities began and ended. Unlike last year, she was here with Takeshi and she was happy. The deep longing she had carried around her with herself for years and years was finally fulfilled; she had her man by her side and this time, it was to last.

"What are you looking at?" The familiar dark voice came from behind her, and Minako turned to meet her boyfriend with a smile. While all the other men had long since abandoned jackets and ties (in the case of Hiromasa not bothering with either in the first place), Takeshi was still in his suit and would remain so until they went home where he would change into his pressed and striped pyjamas. He didn't yet know that she had sneakily hidden all the top parts of his much beloved nightwear; it was her resolution to make him loosen up a bit and what better place to do so than in their home? Also, she liked to feel as much of his skin as possible when she snuggled herself close to him at night, and clothing really was just in the way. That he looked spectacular half-naked was an added bonus, she mused.

Giggling, she reached for his hand.

"See, over there, that's your office building. Last year, I was standing right here with Ami, and I was looking at that building and there was some poor fellow in there working. That wouldn't have happened to be you?"

Takeshi took his hand from hers and shoved it into his pockets. "I don't remember."

"You're lying."

"Perhaps I am." His smile was nonchalant, giving nothing away. Of course, he remembered. He remembered the lonely night, he remembered worrying and struggling with his new and old identity, and he remembered having seen Minako in the arms of another.

Her voice forced him back into the present: "Well, this year you don't have to work, this year you get to carry me home."

Leaning down and closing the distance, he placed a quiet kiss on her exposed collarbone. "And then what?"

Her eyes fluttered shut; putting on the daring dress had definitely been a good idea, his alert green eyes had been following her all night. The cold air smelled of the new aftershave she had gotten him for Christmas, the fireworks and winter, and it made her head spin in the best of ways. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him and winked.

"Depends on how nice you are to me, and depends on how many more of these I will have." She waved the glass around a bit, not noticing that the movement caused the drink to spill right on Takeshi's shoes.

Inside the restaurant, Ando and Umino were watching the lovers through the windows. The two men were smoking cigars, having decided that they needed a New Year's tradition all of their own. Mamoru and Hiromasa were at the bar, organising them more drinks, the girls had disappeared to God knows where and ever so quietly Takeshi had pocketed his cigar instead of lighting it and walked on the balcony to join Minako. Smooth bastard, Ando thought while savouring the taste of the cigar on his tongue. He threw the couple one last glance and turned his eyes on Umino again. The youngest shitennou was wearing one of the shirts Ando had gotten him for Christmas, and it fit him perfectly.

"Nice shirt."

"Haha. The shirt is good, but instead of your little ambiguous message, you could have just sent a note saying Merry Christmas."

"Why? I thought it was time to enlighten your grandmother about your living arrangements. Can she come and visit us? Our flat needs cleaning again."

"My gran will not clean our flat, she's 82 years old. But she will come to visit me on my birthday, so the place needs to be tidy then."

"When's your birthday?" Ando held the cigar between his lips and whipped his Moleskine notebook from his jacket's pocket. Flipping it open, he searched for a pen.

"First week of March." Umino smiled.

"Shit, we didn't celebrate it last year, did we?"

"No, we were preoccupied with having found everyone."

"I'll get you two presents for this year then. Which date?"

"Third. And you don't have to."

Scribbling Umino's name in the narrow margins of the calender, Ando answered with the cigar still in his mouth. "Shut up."

"Fine. How was your flight back?" Ando had arrived just in time to join them for the celebration, stowing his luggage in the kitchen of the restaurant. His clothes were rumpled, but he had made it in time, and that was all that mattered.

"Good. Long. Boring."

"You here to stay?"

Putting the notebook away, Ando feigned ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Tilting his head to the side, Umino observed his friend. "I think you do."

"Ever since when are you so fucking perceptive?"

"Always have been," Umino said matter-of-factly.

"Annoying quality, let it go."

"If it's a quality, then it's something good, so why would I let it go?"

"Fine, fine. What's taking Hiro and Mamoru so long? Can't be that hard to order some new drinks."

Undeterred, Umino continued. "So when are you leaving next? Easter?

There was a trace of annoyance in Ando's voice when he answered. "No, I'll be here for Easter."

"You have a standing invitation to come to my family for major holidays, you know? You don't need to sit them out in your parents' house."

Ando was silent for a minute. "That's... thank you, that's nice."

"Don't mention it."

They looked at each other, but averted their eyes before too long. Ando's gaze strayed to the balcony again.

"Ten quid that instead of happy-new-year-sex, he will have to hold her hair while she pukes. Girl can't hold her liquor."

Umino squinted his eyes, and looked at the two again. Minako had pressed herself close to Takeshi, and they were slowly swaying on the spot. A slow smile spread out on Umino's face. He had never thought to see the day: Takeshi was dancing, and it was awkward and completely and utterly graceless. Pushing his chair back and stubbing his cigar out, he got up.

"I've got to go find Ami. And fifty that there will be no puking. There'd rather be a baby than puking."

"Wait-what?"

Laughing to himself, Umino left a thunderstruck Ando behind and set out to find his girl. Minako wasn't the only woman in need of man to dance with.

**February**

Behind the counter of her café, Makoto watched Ami turn a deep shade of crimson. Also at her table and blushing equally hard was Umino. Both were smiling, and had abandoned the cake they had ordered to hold hands. Next to Makoto, Hiromasa scratched his head. "Why are they so red in the face?" He had come to help Makoto install a second oven in the kitchen, and now that his work was done, he enjoyed a cup of strong espresso before heading to his own work space.

"It's Valentine's Day."

"I know that, wife of mine, it's why you woke up to a bunch of red roses and breakfast in bed." Makoto laughed and pinched him in the side. "The breakfast doesn't count. Spock ate most of it and I'm not too fond of toast with drool."

"He only stole it because we were too busy celebrating Valentine's Day to notice him, so it still counts. And you got another present instead, so don't complain."

At the other end of the counter, still in earshot of Hiromasa and Makoto, sat Ando, who now choked on his coffee and put down his morning paper with a disgusted expression on his face. Turning to the married couple, he shook his head. "Hiromasa, your penis is not a Valentine's Day present, even _if _you wrapped a bow around it." Hiromasa opened his mouth, but Ando began to wave his hands just as someone attempting to stop a train might. "I _don't_ want to know, okay, I don't want to know! It's bad enough that Minako spent yesterday evening theorising that Chibi-Usa will be conceived on Valentine's Day, hence the pink hair."

While putting some sugar roses on a cake with the precision of a heart surgeon, Makoto laughed. "Most reasonable theory Minako has ever put forward."

In that moment, Umino leaned across the table and kissed Ami on the mouth, causing the girl to giggle.

"Oh God, that's sickening," Ando muttered.

Hiromasa reached over the counter and punched him in the shoulder. "Leave' em be, it took them long enough."

"You're not like that, and you're married."

Closely examining the cake one last time before putting it in the cooled inside of the counter, Makoto's face was serious, but her eyes twinkled. "We also live in an apartment that is moderately clean, and Hiromasa wraps bright red bows around his penis." Hiro guffawed, Makoto grinned and Ando pressed his eyes shut.

"There is not enough bleach in the world to burn this image from my mind," Ando groaned while a laughing Hiromasa high-fived his wife. "Good one, love."

The small brass bell chimed, and Umino and Ami disappeared through the doors without goodbye. Ami had forgotten her gloves, and Umino had left behind his scarf.

"Great, now I can't go home because they're sexing it up there." Ando got up and cleared the table, returning to his own seat at the counter with two plates of barely touched cake. Reaching over the counter, he fumbled for a clean fork, only to be slapped on the hand by Makoto.

Snorting, Hiromasa sat down next to Ando and claimed one of the slices of cake. Cheesecake with blueberries, he noted with pleasure. He didn't bother with a fresh fork and used Umino's instead. "Nobody would ever sex it up in your apartment. I think it repels women like wax repels water. Law of nature."

"Hey, it's not that bad anymore. And Minako and Usagi both come to visit."

From behind the counter, Makoto interjected "Not saying much, both are slobs," and handed Ando a fresh fork. "Ando, you could just order your own cake, you know?" Grinning roguishly, Ando took a bite of Ami's piece of cake. "Uh uh, too expensive, my dear. I can barely afford your coffee."

Scratching his head again, Hiromasa looked at Ando and lowered his voice. "You really think Ami and Umino are doing it?"

"They've been together for ages, of course they're doing it."

Makoto crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You don't get to speculate about that, you two. That's between Umino and Ami and no-one else, do you hear me?"

"Yes, mum, we do," Ando quipped and picked up his paper again.

"Don't call me my wife mum, that's just wrong."

"So are bows wrapped around penises." The married couple grinned again, and Ando decided that it was probably time to hide somewhere until Valentine's Day was over.

Having finished the cake in record time, Hiromasa whistled for his dog. Spock had spent the morning lying in front of the radiator, dozing and chewing on an old rolling pin. "I've got to go to work. Wife, kiss."

Leaning over the counter, Makoto obliged him. "Thanks for helping me with the oven. And take this one with me, he's scaring away paying customers."

"Now that almost hurt my feelings." Ando put on his jacket and buttoned it up before donning the scarf Umino had forgotten. "I meant the dog, but you can go too," Makoto laughed and waved them off.

**March**

Romance novels lie. For instance, they tell you that in a time of deep emotional turmoil, in a sudden crisis with more on your hands than you can possibly handle, your loved one will be there, support you through all of it and make it all better. Especially so if you broke up before the crisis actually unfolded. In romance novels, the hero will always appear and whisk the heroine away.

Sitting on an uncomfortable plastic chair in front of her grandfather's hospital room, Rei Hino was all alone. Hands folded primly in her lap, she waited to be let in. The doctor who had called her to the hospital had disappeared into her grandfather's room again, holding charts and several leaflets, and Rei suspected that he wanted to tell the old man to be more careful, possibly even to retire.

Staring at the yellow walls, Rei sighed. That's where the doctor was wrong: priests never retired. The vows made to the deities and to the holy ground itself couldn't be loosened, even if one wanted to. It was why her own heart still beat faster when she thought of the shrine she had left behind. In her heart, she still belonged there. Her grandfather had spent his entire life working at and living in the Hikawa shrine, and his very essence was tied to the place. He was as much a part of the shrine as the buildings and the trees -- he was its centre. Rei examined her hands: they were no longer as callous as they had been when she still lived at the shrine and swept the whole ground once a day. Now they were white and soft, with carefully painted nails and a decorative silver ring on her right index finger. But not so deep down, she missed the cuts and the blisters just as she missed the holy fire and her grandfather.

Guilt had been gnawing at her bones for months now. Her grandfather was too old to manage the shrine alone, and really, it had been only a matter of time before something like this happened. While the doctor had comforted her by explaining that the injury wasn't dramatic and would heal within a few months, he had also stressed that unless the old priest cut back on all the heavy work he did, chances of him injuring himself again were rather high.

Reaching deep inside her and pushing all pretenses away, Rei decided that she should help her grandfather in the few years he had left. She could work both her job in the antique shop and help out at the temple - she was a senshi, she had more energy and more life in her than ordinary humans, so this was the moment to make use of it. Leaving the temple hadn't caused the memories and visions of Jadeite to go away anyway; in fact, it had only caused them to come to her more often. Rei suspected that meditating with her grandfather every morning before the sun rose had helped her in more ways than she had realised before.

Shifting in her seat (a movement that did nothing to make her any more comfortable), she cast a look over her shoulder, but the door was still closed and no sound reached her ears. She wondered whether the old man knew that his prodigal grandchild had returned to him, whether he could feel her proximity in his bones. She hoped with all her being that when she would walk into his room in what could only be a few minutes, he would be able to forgive her for deserting him and the shrine they both treasured so much.

The past months had been so hard without a comrade to understand her, and it must have been equally as hard for her grandfather. Her duty to Usagi seemed so heavy, so unyielding. Were it not for her friend, Rei would happily banish all thoughts of Jadeite from her mind and choose a mortal life with her grandfather and her religion. More than once, the girls had tried to help her, but they couldn't understand the importance of the temple in her life. Her grandfather, however, did. He had sensed that little Rei Hino would flourish under the cherry trees on the holy ground. He had seen the priestess in the girl, and he had given her a home when her own father only wanted to get rid of her. How much easier her life would be if she were only his granddaughter, and not a senshi, sworn to protect a princess and the world.

Twisting the ring on her finger, she fought the urge to storm into his room and tell him everything. But how could she burden him any further? Today it was a broken leg that had landed him in the hospital, but Rei feared that it would soon be something far more serious. Unlike herself, her grandfather would not live forever. He aged more with each passing day. When she had moved into the shrine as a littel girl, his hair had already been white.

One day, he would be gone, moved on to another world that she could never gain entrance to. Then she would be truly alone, left on the sidelines while her friends made themselves a happy future. Usagi and Mamoru had always been a unit, inseparable even by death. Makoto and Hiromasa were happily building themselves a future, and only a few nights ago, Rei had dreamt of a brown-haired child with laughing green eyes. She didn't know when it would be born, but unless the future drastically changed course again, her dear friend would be a loving mother one day. Ami and Umino, so much more hesitant in their being together, were undeniably happy. Umino brought out a more livelier and sometimes even reckless side in Ami, and Rei knew it was a change for the better. Even Minako seemed happier now: she was finally grounded. Only Rei herself hadn't moved forward, hadn't changed or developed and she had the gnawing suspicion that she just couldn't do it, even if the part of herself that ran a hand over the book Jadeite had given her every night before going to bed desperately wanted to.

Knowing that forgiving Jadeite and taking the leap into being with him was her only option not to be lonely for the rest of her eternal life, Rei began to cry. One of the nurses walking down the corridor stole a hesitant look in her direction, but didn't pause to offer words of comfort.  
Loneliness was the hardest cross to bear, and it scared Rei. She had been lonely after her mother's death, and only her grandfather had given her hope for the future. A future that he couldn't be in. Thinking of Jadeite and his pained cry on the night of the engagement party, she felt her heart constrict once more. It wasn't that she couldn't see herself falling for him again; she could. Usagi flat out adored the man, and Rei knew that her friend was an excellent judge of character. Usagi's heart was big, but if she truly liked someone, it was commendation of character nothing could exceed. The man that used to be Jadeite was different from his long dead counterpart: he wasn't as cruel, and she had seen more than once since he came back, he was far more vulnerable. He was a man she could love, if she would only let herself. But really, what did she know about him, other than the fact that he was good at giving presents, enjoyed eating brownies in the sunshine, liked to read, and had eyes so soulful that they could make her heart stop? Surely that wasn't enough to throw away two lifetimes of suffering and worry.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when the door behind her opened. "Miss Hino, your grandfather would like to see you now."

**April**

The thing about addictions is that they creep into your life without you even realising it. One day, you allow yourself one indulgence, and the next one you don't even know how to pass the hours without it. They make you lie, both to yourself and to others. Giving in to them sends you on a high so amazing that you forget to breathe, and the crash afterwards tears at your seams, rips into you and leaves you shuddering for hours, all the while knowing that you will go back to this feeling, even if it costs you your very soul.

Ando knew a great deal about addictions, Rei knew next to nothing. It was why he stood back, seeing the currents, realising their dangerous strength, whereas she stumbled in blindly while thinking that she was somewhat safe. It happened the very same way in the Silver Millennium; drowning, surging to the surface, and drowning again, a cruel circle of love that never got close to the seamless perfection shared by people like Endymion and Serenity. It had worked up until its bitter end, but it took more energy than any human man could muster and despite knowing that he was more than just as man, Ando still felt decisively mortal whenever he so much as thought of the woman with the violet eyes. This addiction, this dangerous dance was nothing but a suicide mission and he wanted to live. Sort of.

It had started when Rei walked into the Museum of Modern Arts one day, sitting down at a table at the other end of the museum's café without sparing Ando a single glance, clutching a familiar book to her chest. Reminded of the last time she had sought him out here, Ando ran a hand over his cheek, wondering when it had stopped burning. Everyone knew that this was his place, practically his office since he did most of his writing here. Minako occasionally dropped by, knowing that she would find Ando in his chosen haunt, hidden behind a laptop computer and an unruly bundle of notes. Umino joined him at his designated table in the corner when their apartment got too filthy to read in. Mamoru came by for the odd cup of coffee after a tiresome morning shift. But Rei? After Minako's birthday party, both had gone to great pains to ensure that they didn't meet more often than strictly necessary. It was just too painful. She had even gone so far as to spend New Year's alone in her new flat, leaving Ando to celebrate the event with the friends they unfortunately had to share. Curling his toes inside his trainers, every inch of him brimming with tension, Ando pretended not to notice that the waitress went over to take Rei's order, only to be waved away impatiently. Staring at the screen and only seeing blurred letters, Ando counted to ten before he looked directly into her direction. She was already gone.

A few days later, Ando was at Minako's, playing with the dog in the garden, while Minako was preparing some lunch for the two of them. They had actually planned to do some gardening, but somewhere down the line Attila had raced outside, jumped into the flowerbeds and nicked the bulbs the friends had just put into the ground. After racing after the dog to get them back for about twenty minutes, Minako had tossed her hair over her shoulder and announced that the garden didn't need flowers, bare was the new pretty, and didn't Ando want something to eat? She disappeared through the patio's door, leaving Ando and Attila behind on the green grass. Dog and man engaged in a wild game that basically consisted of chasing each other through the garden, and when a panting Ando wondered where the promised food and a much needed bottle of water was, he looked through the glass doors only to see the Rei staring back at him. Their eyes met, and she turned and left, ignoring Minako who walked out of the kitchen with two cups of tea.

She turned up in the big bookshop in the city, browsing for volumes of Russian poetry while sneaking glances at him in the classics section. His favourite newsagent acquired a new customer, a fair and pretty girl that never read the magazines she picked up randomly and yet hugged to her chest as if they were a treasure of unknown value. But despite all of these strange encounters, she didn't speak to him and never showed up to any group activities. She was his own personal ghost, haunting him during the days, and always staying just out of reach.

When Ando threw Umino a surprise birthday party in Takeshi's and Minako's house, he knew she wouldn't show. One of the presents on the coffee table was definitely hers, its wrapping too simple and yet elegant to come from anyone else. Usagi popped up next to him while he contemplated opening the present to see what Rei would give to Umino. What did you give to someone whose very existence you weren't exactly happy about? "Opening other people's present is really bad manners," she quipped.

Ando put the parcel back on the table, noting that it wasn't heavy. "I wasn't going to."

Rolling her eyes, Usagi picked it up herself, weighing it in her small hands while grinning obnoxiously.

"Yes, you were."

"You'd make a really annoying younger sister, you know that?"

"I have a really annoying younger brother."

"You do?"

"Yep."

"Huh, I didn't know that."

"Lots of things you don't know." Underneath the teasing, a serious tone danced around, waiting for him to catch it. Ando took the bait: he had always been a curious man. "Such as?"

"The reason why Rei has started to follow you around." It was a punch to the gut, delivered with the sweetest smile. Ando thought that Usagi would make an excellent queen one day.

"You know about that?" "_I_ know about lots of things," she said with a sly look in Ami's direction. "_I_ know that Ami gave Umino a present that is not sitting on this table." She put Rei's present back on the table, where it rested next to the big one Hiromasa and Makoto had picked out for the philosopher. The flowery wrapping paper with the artful bow was a dead give-away.

Ando snorted. "I live in the same flat, I know about _that_ present. I knew about _that_ present all night long."

"Deep waters and what not."

She winked, and looked around the room, taking in the shapes of her friends on this happy occasion. Umino was beaming, talking animatedly to Takeshi while Minako shoved another piece of cake into the hands of Umino's mother, who had arrived from Kyoto early in the morning. The older woman had the shock of her life upon seeing her son's apartment, and even Ando had been more than a little ashamed when he saw the disgust on her face. They would have to tidy up again.

But what did all of that matter when there were more pressing issues at stake? Deciding that this was an opportunity likely not to present itself again, Ando burst out: "Why is she following me around?"

Usagi cocked her head to the side, coating herself in mock innocence. "Why would I tell you that?"

"Because you want me to do something, and you think I'm too stupid to do it on my own. I remember the past a little better than most, so I know how meddlesome you can be."

"I'm not meddlesome," she pouted and cracked. "And she thinks that by being around you without really being around you, she can get used to you and regain some normalcy in her life."

Ando thought about her words for a minute, a minute which Usagi used to devour a mini-quiche. "That's... that's really stupid." Shrugging, the blonde made a carefully neutral face.

"You know that, I know that, but I don't think Rei does. Personally, I don't think that's the real reason anyway. I think she loves you. Can you make her forgive you now?" Usagi picked a stray hair from her white dress and shot him a hopeful look.

Fishing for a patience he didn't really have, Ando shot the blonde an impatient look. "Usagi, it's not that easy."

"Only because you haven't tried hard enough."

"That's not true. I tried everything."

"Running away because she tells you to is not everything."

It was at this point that Mamoru joined them. The tall man had spent the last twenty minutes talking to Umino's grandmother, trying to ease the old woman's concern about her grandchild living in this big city, and now made a beeline for his wife. "Have you talked about it already?" he asked immediately while placing a kiss on Usagi's cheek.

Since there was little doubt as to what Mamoru was referring to, Ando groaned. "Oh, not you too."

Using his best and most serious doctor's voice, Mamoru prodded. "Ando, things can't go on like this. If the two of you don't deal with this in a rational manner, then you're setting us up for a fall in Crystal Tokyo."

"Well, things aren't going to get magically better if I push her now. She needs to come to me in her own time, on her own account, and not because you two are pulling the king and queen of hearts cards. So if she wants to follow me around to get used to me, which isn't going to work, by the way, because she will never get used to me, then she can do it. She needs time and if my memory serves me correctly, denying her what she wants has never been an option. And for the record, she doesn't love me. She barely knows me." Both his voice and his expression were glum, and he looked over his shoulder to beckon Minako over to save him from this conversation.

Minako however was decidedly not looking into his direction, and Ando developed a sneaking suspicion that his friend was in on it to.

Usagi tugged at his sleeves, petulantly demanding his attention. "Rei needs you to talk to her and stop this madness," the blonde insisted, almost stomping her foot, but remembering that she was no longer a teenager just in time.

Rolling his eyes, Ando straightened his sleeve. "So I talk to her. What happens then?" "You will get together, of course."

Ando snorted. "Of course." He gave both of them a long look. "Have you spoken to her about this?"

Mamoru shoved his hands into his pockets and Usagi looked down at her feet. "I thought so."

"She won't listen to us," Usagi said in a small voice that tugged right at Ando's heart. "You are her best friend. If she doesn't listen to you, then she most certainly won't listen to me. Especially not to me. Usagi, Mamoru, I'm sorry, but you have to stay out of this. Not everyone can get a happy ever after. Don't pressure us into something that we're not ready for just because it will set you at ease. And now excuse me, Umino's gran looks to be in need of some company."

***

A few days later, he walked into the kitched just as Umino pinned a lucky charm on the wall.

"That's ugly. I had that space reserved for a Playboy calendar."

Umino turned and grinned. "It's a lucky charm, it's supposed to give me luck and diligence."

"Both of which you need, otherwise you will never finish your dissertation," Ando replied and wagged his index finger.

"Where did you get it? If it works, I've got to get one of those, too. Lots of deadlines to meet."

Umino opened the fridge and helped himself to a can of coke. "Rei made it for my birthday. She's back to working parttime at the shrine."

Ando frowned. "Why? Minako said that she liked the antique shop."

"Her grandfather broke his leg a month ago. They made up, and now she's back. It's good, she's moving forward. Even if that means she has to move backwards, too."

Ando nodded and cast his eyes to the kitchen counter.

A moment later, he started to fill the sink with water and shot a generous amount of yellow washing-up liquid into the hot water.

"Ando, what are you doing?"

"The dishes."

"Right." A confused Umino picked up a striped dish towel. "Ever since when do you do the dishes?"

Ando shrugged. "It keeps me busy. I can't drink all the time, you know?"

"I know that. I just didn't think you did."

Ando shot his friend a smile. "Careful, or I'll wash your hair in the sink after I cleaned the pan we used for frying eggs last Sunday."

Laughing, Umino shoved Ando and the two of them worked in companionable silence until their kitchen was clean.

**May**

They met under the cherry trees in a whirlwind of sweetened air and pink petals. During May, most of Tokyo was pretty in pink. He hadn't even noticed it last year.

The park that would one day become the very centre of Crystal Tokyo was deserted and it wasn't an accident. Magic was thick in the air, unconsciously woven, but over-overwhelmingly present. Passers-by suddenly felt the dire need to walk into another direction, and only two people remained in the vast pink space.

The young woman no longer looked like a ghost - while she was still pale, it was the alabaster skin of an ethereal being and not the sickly pallor of a woman on her deathbed. Her long hair was sleek and shiny, a far cry from the matted mess it had been almost one year ago. Her eyes were bright and burning with anticipation. Ando noticed that she had regained some of the weight she had lost due to his return as he casually walked towards her. In comparison to her, he felt like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but then it had always been that way. Not even Minako could claim not to be intimidated by Rei's otherworldly beauty, and the blonde was Venus incarnate, for crying out loud.

He felt like a beggar in front of his former lover, but the time for begging was long past and it wasn't him who had called his meeting. Ando was a man in his own right again, no longer the sad shadow of his former self, tormented by the crimes he had committed when he didn't even know that he would one day walk the earth as a free man. Free of duty, free of obligation, but never quite free of the pain. The nightmares were still there; they would probably never go away, but he had accepted this. It was Minako who made him see that while they were unpleasant, they were also a mark of his humanity. She had told him that to this day, she would wake up in the middle of the night, trying to atone for her sins in the vague world of dreams. She said that it made her feel more alive, and it made her careful not to repeat her mistakes. Ando had resisted the urge to pry and ask whose blood she still felt on her hands, but his friend had opened her mind to him and first he saw Kunzite floating in the air, blasted into nothingness by the combined force of the senshi. Then the images shifted, and he saw Sailor V on a cliff, holding the hand of a man with blonde curls. Danburite. Adonis. The soldier's fingers slipped from hers and he fell down the abyss to his certain death, leaving only playing cards flying in the breeze, all showing the same symbol: the ace of spades. It was then that Minako's mind snapped shut, and Ando wondered if she had ever told Takeshi what tormented her in the night. He severely doubted it.

But right now, Ando stood under the majestic trees in front of the woman he loved. Rei Hino, the impossibly proud priestess. Mars, the vengeful goddess of war. Eurydice, the only one who had ever loved him just as much as he loved her. He came to stop in front of her, not even an arm's length away. She smiled, and did not step back. "Thank you for meeting me, Ando." It was the first time she had used his contemporary name, and it sounded foreign on her lips. "It's my pleasure. To what do I owe the honour?" He was on his guard, careful to hide his nervousness behind a gallant smile. She shoved her hands deep in the pockets of her elegant blazer and met his eyes with raw and unguarded honesty. To say that it took his breath away was an understatement. For Ando, the world stopped turning for a moment. "I wanted to apologise. I'm sorry." Still smiling, still careful, he answered. "Well, I would like to say that you have nothing to apologise for, but that's not quite true." His green eyes sought her violet ones, but she had already cast them to the petal covered ground. His reaction to her visible discomfort was a spur of the moment thing, and in another time, it might have cost him his life. He nudged her with his elbow, initiating physical contact, the very thing that had always caused them to fall to pieces. She looked up and saw that he had a soft expression on his face. "Rei, I'm not a saint, we both know that, so don't be too sorry. There will be a time after the memories, after the awkwardness, after the apologies and hopefully after the pain. It's just not right now. You and I, we need an utopia to be alright again and luckily enough, there's one waiting just around the corner. Be patient." It was then that she noticed the large rucksack. A hurried closer examination of him revealed brand-new hiking boots on his feet.

This was goodbye. Her forgiveness had come too late. She had taken to long to convince herself that his man was more than Jadeite. She should have spoken to him rather than following him around. She was a fool.

So Rei Hino wished for rain, thunder, wind and storm because the warm sunshine on her back had no right to be here when her world lay in ruins once again. She was on Atlantis, drowning, losing herself in the darkness of the ocean while the sun shone on her hair. Rocking back on his heels once, Ando wished that he could make this easier for her. After a moment's silence, he spoke again, each word chosen with care and uttered with complete and utter conviction. He needed her to believe him, he couldn't leave unless she did. Saying goodbye to his friends and to his prince had been nothing compared to this one moment. "I promise you, I will be back. I will be the first person knocking on the door of the eternal palace once it has been built. Look for me when Crystal Tokyo comes around, I will be there. Maybe then will be our time." One of the pink petals caught in her hair and he plucked it from the silken tresses without hesitation, stroking her cheek before he withdrew his hand again.

She wished that he would break the distance between them and allow her to hide in his arms just as she had done in another world when she was still innocent. Instead, he offered her his hand. She took it, neglecting to shake it and rather held it for as long as she dared. She knew that she wouldn't see him again until she was older than the trees under which they stood, even if she would still look every inch as young as she did now. "Where will you go?" His face was solemn. "Everywhere." Swallowing down the tears, she choked. "Can you send me a postcard?"  
But he had already turned and stepped away, letting her hand go in the process. Shouldering his rucksack, he began his journey. Behind him, Rei remained rooted to the spot.

Suddenly, he turned and walked backwards, the wind tousling his golden hair. His grin was infectious, carefree, young. It was the way he was supposed to look. "I will send them via Airmail, just wait for it," he shouted.

Laughing and crying, she watched him make his way to a new beginning until he was gone and all she could see were the dancing petals in the air.

THE END


End file.
